Starlight
by Dani Rae11109
Summary: SEQUEAL to Confessions in Moonlight.MacKayla is all grown up now and is heading to highschool with the rest of the Cullens and her brothers.Will she find love or heartache when she meets her imprint,Wyatt?Can Mac be enough to save him from his dark past?
1. Rude Awakenings

**Here it is, the sequeal to Confessions in Moonlight. So if you havn't already read it, I consider you do or this might be a bit confusing.**

**I hope that you all like it! This chapter is the biggest I have ever written at 8,288 words, though when I uploaded it, microsoft told me it was only 7,455! Oh well. Anyway, please read on...**

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Chapter 1- Rude Awakenings

My name is MacKayla Rayne Black. I have russet skin and green eyes, that of my grandfather's. I am six foot and have waist length black curly hair. I am one of three triplets. My brothers Aiden and Ravyn identical to me, only six inches taller, putting them at six foot five. We are half vampire, half werewolf, though the werewolf half is the more prominent gene.

We half-breeds have few likenesses to the vampires. We do not drink blood. We have hard, yet penetrable, skin and longevity all from the vampire side in us, as well as the powers. Mine for instance, is much like my uncle Jasper's, though I cannot project emotions, only feel them and I have telekinesis. We are much stronger then your average vampire and much faster too. We don't sparkle in the sun and we still need sleep. We also we are incredibly smart and have a photographic memory.

As for the werewolf side… As triplets even in the womb, we could hear each others thoughts. Speak on a mental path. We learned later on in life that when you phase, you hear your pack's thoughts, yet we could do that from infancy and not in the form of a fury dog. Only we could turn it on and off at will, where as in the pack, you are forced to endure their thoughts with no help to avoid the inevitable. When we phase, we are even larger than your average wolf and have had the ability to phase since were turned four. Not too mention severely hot skin, but a degree or two cooler than most werewolves. We all came from the previous Alpha but as Aiden is the oldest and our father, Jacob, has since retired unless there is a major problem in which he is needed, he became the Alpha for our pack. And that of course made things difficult.

Aiden and Leah imprinted on each other when he was born. And they are both, of course, in our pack. The only solstice Ravyn and I ever got is the fact that even with our pack, we can turn the thoughts of the others off. Which helped when Leah and Aiden choose to have their little fantasies while patrolling.

Even though I am not alone, I still feel like it. The three of us are close, so close, that sometimes we need to reach each other on our mental path without even thinking about it. We were very dependent on one another, finding it hard to spend any length of time apart, even with the constant merging of thoughts. But what made me feel so alone is the fact that I wanted… hell, I didn't even know. All I knew was that I felt alone and I didn't have depression, nor was I emo, as Ravyn liked to put it.

And what's worse, is that today, we were all going to start school. School. Joy. Since we're part vampire, the minute we turned eighteen, we froze, are bodies no longer growing. The three of us were highly intellectual though I know Ravyn refuses to believe it and complains constantly on how he missed out on a childhood because of it. I do not like to seem overly doing it and have on more than one occasion dumbed it down a notch or four, not wanting to stick out in kindergarten and have kids throw lobs of dirt my way. But when Aiden and Ravyn accidently phased at recess because a bully was picking on me, that was the end of school. Till now.

My alarm clock went off again for about the sixteenth time this morning. I growled and picked it up with my mind, ripping the cord from the wall, and pitched it across the room. I was in a bad mood and now I was probably going to get grounded. Oh the joy.

_Jeez, Mac_, Ravyn said in my head, his voice amused. _Did you know that it went through the wall and slammed into Dad's head? You should have seen his face._

"MacKayla!" My dad's voice bellowed from within his room.

Figures. _Thanks for the warning, Birdie_, I replied, meaning it. I somewhat had a temper if I was in a nasty mood. Only problem now that my body had frozen, I couldn't blame it on PMS.

Ravyn growled at the nickname that I had given him when we were kids and I laughed. He had an even worse temper.

"Mac," my mother said, walking in to my room.

I rolled over and threw my pillow over my head and began snoring extremely loudly.

I swear I heard her roll her eyes and suddenly the pillow was lifted off my face. "MacKayla, you need to get up," she instructed.

I raised a brow at her.

"Yes, now. Be glad your father is a quick healer. You hit him in the nose and broke it."

I shrugged. "Rough morning, I s'pose," I answered, my voice hoarse and scratchy. I cleared my throat a few times.

Her chocolaty eyes narrowed on my face. "School will go fine, baby," she soothed, smoothing down my mat of black curls. "And we'll all be there."

"And I don't understand how!" I argued, praying to God that I could get out of this somehow. "There are eleven of us!"

She sighed. "Actually, Leah will be joining us as well."

I gawked at her. "Can't seven hours be spared between them?"

My mother laughed. "Of course not, sweetie. Just wait until you imprint."

I looked out the window as the sun slowly rose in the sky behind the thick clouds and through the trees of the forest. I didn't think I would ever imprint but I wouldn't tell her that. If imprinting was meant to pass on the gene, wasn't Aiden going to do a good job of it? Though Leah does not believe her body is capable of sustaining a human being within herself.

And if I did, who knows what would happen. Our coven was too big. If we were to draw even the tinniest amount of attention our way, the Volturi would be back and breathing down our throats. Right before they hang us. Or torture us with some medieval device that is illegal on every single continent but is magically leagal in their city.

My mother patted my knee and stood up, brushing a kiss on my nose. "Grandma is making pancakes."

Bribery! The woman used bribery but my stomach growled and thus brought a grin to my mother's lips as she strode out of the room. She knew that food was the only way to get me to do anything, the cheater!

_They are great too_, Aiden said. I looked through his eyes and saw the stack of strawberry pancakes sitting in front of him. He smirked in my head. _Hungry, Little Mac?_

_Shut up!_ It only made things worse when I could taste the warm, sticky breakfast as he ate it as if _I _were eating rather than Aiden.

Why is it being a girl means that getting ready takes so long? I took a quick shower and slipped into skinny jeans and a loose dark green long-sleeve t-shirt. I left my deliciously long hair flow behind me. I was so happy to learn that as a wolf, the length of my human hair did not affect me. It was long, yes, but not as the boys would be if their hair was as lengthy as mine was. I threw just the bare minerals of make-up on and filtered myself down stairs and straight into the sea green kitchen that matched the one we had in Forks.

On the table was a stack of pancakes ten feet high.

_You exaggerate_, Ravyn said.

_Get out of my head for once!_ Though we were close and needed the mental path we shared like we needed air for breathing, it still got old when someone had to comment everything that passed through your head. I sat down and didn't even hesitate as I dug in.

My family laughed and I scooped some syrup onto my spoon and flung it at Ravyn. I snickered behind my hand when it slapped against his forehead, falling down his shirt to land on his lap in a sticky clump. I was not surprised when a pancake was heralded at me. I ducked it smoothly and went to grab a strawberry when I heard my great-grandmother's gasp.

"Enough!" Esme paled as she saw the wall where the pancake was glued to. "Why is it the three of you can't have a meal without a food fight?"

We looked at each other and instantly burst out into laughter. When we stopped to take a breath we noticed that the room was silent so we followed suit. Esme was positively fuming. _Nice going, Birdie._

_You started it._

_So very mature you two._ Aiden, always the diplomatic one. _Someone has to be_, he agreed.

Esme let her head fall and as if for enunciating, the pancake slid from the wall and landed on the floor with a _splat_. The syrup it was dosed in landed on Esme's white pants and I saw Alice cringe from the corner of my eye.

"Would you look at the time," Aiden said smoothly, picking up a backpack that rested at his feet before standing up. "We better get going if we don't want to be late for out first day of school."

I smiled and got up after shoving an entire pancake into my mouth. I quickly kissed Esme's cheek and shuffled out of the room. The family had congregated in the foyer.

"Okay," my grandfather said when the three of us entered. "Know the stories, right? Aiden, Ravyn, MacKayla, and Jacob are the Blacks, along with Leah but she is adopted. Me, Alice, Emmett, and Nessie are Cullens and Jasper, Rose and Bella are Hales."

"Why am I a Hale?" my grandmother Bella asked.

My grandfather smirked. "Can't kiss you at school if you're my sister."

I scrunched my face up. That was just plain _eww_! I looked around for my book bag and couldn't find it. I sighed and willed it to my side. My purse and backpack both slipped onto my arm and I smirked.

"I _so_ wish I had that power," Ravyn muttered.

"Of course you do, lazy," Aiden ruffled Ravyn's black hair playfully.

"Mac, Ravyn, we can't take you anywhere, can we?" my father murmured.

I frowned and looked at my brother whose face mirrored my own confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he replied, "that the two of you are wearing syrup. No fighting at school unless it's in the head."

I looked down and saw nothing so I touched my face. I was covered in a sticky mess! Ravyn looked down also and blanched when he took in the ruined cloths he was wearing. He began to go upstairs to change only to be stopped by our dad. With a hand on Ravyn's chest, he shook his head.

"Think of this as punishment for the heart attack you gave Esme a few minutes ago."

"What?!" he squeaked.

"You heard me. Now get going." He pushed us towards the door.

"I call ridding with Emmett!" Ravyn announced, flinging himself out the front door and into the front seat of Emmett's red Jeep. The two of them were practically inseparable these days. Now that Aiden spends a great deal of time with Leah rather than with Ravyn, he kind of had to find someone else to help him pick on me.

I sighed and slipped into the driver's side of my 1964 ½ Ford Mustang painted in teal with white leather interior. When you have a mechanic of a dad and Aunt, it has a tendency to rub off on you. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Aiden and Leah slid into the back and we were off. I felt like complaining about how, not even for the ten minuets it would take to get to Hoquiam High School, they couldn't be separated, but I chose to hold my tongue. At least they were happy.

The school was as generic as the next. It was a small two-story brick building with a flat roof. The rain was lightly pelting the windshield so as I stepped out, I allowed the rain to hit my face, carrying the syrupy mess away. I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my black fleece Columbia zip up before reaching in and grabbing my bags. When I straightened I noticed the stare my family and I received and I couldn't help the nerves that began to flitter through my stomach like butterflies. As if we were freaks – which we were but they didn't know that _yet_ – and their eyes were devouring us. The girls seemed to fawn over all the guys, even though only one of them wasn't holding their soul mate's hands. I rolled my eyes when I noticed that Ravyn didn't seem to be bothered at all that random hands were running up and down his chest. Predictable.

As for the girls, the guys were more the stand-and-watch-with-their-mouths-gaping-and-drool-dripping-out-and-dribbling-on-their-chin-and-shirts kind rather than the _awfully_ forward girls who chose to 'oooo' and 'ahh'. The guys were mostly watching Rosalie who adored the attention but got Emmett snarling and making a show of kissing her right there in the parking lot as if he had to prove she was taken and his alone. My grandfather's eyes were murderous and I assumed the thoughts of others were beginning to get to him. Jasper's face would've been red had he been human. Though he did look very uncomfortable. Actually, he somewhat looked constipated. Aiden… well Aiden never really cared what people thought so he grabbed Leah's hand and walked towards the building with indifference.

_If he stares at your butt one more time, his ass is mine_, Aiden threatened.

Okay, maybe he did care.

_And your chest isn't on display either_, Ravyn growled.

Well, what do y'know. I actually have over protective brothers. I saw Ravyn make a strangling motion with his hands at me and I childishly stuck my tongue out at him, following after Leah and Aiden.

My mother and father were already in the office gathering our schedules. Through the glass door I noticed the old female secretary grabbing a peachy and fanning herself while looking at my grandfather beside my dad. Were all humans like this?! Did their hormones rule their body as if they were parasites?

I saw my grandfather's lips twitch and I had my answer. Thank God I wasn't fully human.

"Okay," my mother announced coming out of the office and into the main hall where we all stood. "Mac, Ravyn, Aiden, you are all sophomores and here are your schedules. Alice, Leah, Da-Edward, Bella, Jake, and I are juniors. Emmett, Rose, and Jasper, you three are seniors."

"Not fair," Ravyn grumbled. "Why are we sophomores? We look older then them!"

My mother glared at him. "Look, _Sticky_. They _are_ older and if you don't start acting your age then you're grounded!"

Ravyn's eyes flashed and his nostrils flared while the students around us stopped to watch and listen with perplexed expressions. Some even cupped their ear to hear better.

I laughed. "Yeah, mom'll ground you if you keep up with that." I tried to make it sound as if she and I were giving him advice.

My mother recovered and nodded solemnly. "And then you won't be able to play with your duckies in the bath tub after dinner for a month," she said firmly, stalking off down the hallway with a laughing Jake and the rest of the family.

The students who had stopped to observe were now doubled over with laughter, holding their bellies and teasing a sad looking Ravyn about his toy duckies. I couldn't help but punch Ravyn in the shoulder lightly. "Way to go, Birdie. Must you always make a fool of yourself?"

Aiden couldn't stop laughing. He braced his hands on his knees while Ravyn's face got as red as his t-shirt before pulling his backpack up higher on his shoulder and walking swiftly down the hallway till he stopped at a locker and opened it up.

I finally sobered but Aiden's voice in my head wouldn't shut up. I stiffly headed down the hallway trying my best to hold in the giggle that threatened to escape. 165, 165, 165… Where are you? I finally found it and was glad that it was on top. Checking the combination, I had to force myself not to use my powers and just open the damn thing. I won't lie, it was hard. When you use it for eighteen years, it becomes unnoticeable when the cookie you wanted from the kitchen magically appears in your hand while you're reading a book in the study. My power was the one that was the hardest to hide which of course made me the weakest link. Not to mention the emotions around me were giving me a stomachache, causing bile to rise in my throat. I could turn it on and off at will, but if I was emotionally unstable, such as nervous or scared, it becomes uncontrollable and makes me vulnerable.

My brothers' powers were nothing special. Aiden can command others to do his bidding with his voice but was sourly disappointed to learn at a very young age it didn't work on his siblings. Unfortunately, the rest of the family wasn't as safe. Ravyn could take sound waves and reverse their make up, causing them to get loud, or get quiet. So basically, his voice makes sonic booms when he chooses it to. It sucked when he was first learning control. I swear that boy just about made me deaf every time he had a tantrum.

Okay, maybe they were pretty damn cool powers.

I sighed and threw some notebooks into the locker and grabbed one for my first period which was French class. One of the few things I was actually looking forward to. I closed the ugly blue locker and froze, becoming aware of males standing on the other side, previously obscured by the locker door.

"May I…" I gulped. "Help you?"

A blond one laughed. "May we?"

"Get away you vultures! Leave the poor girl alone," a deep baritone ordered. I was oddly stricken by the voice, enthralled by it. I waited as the group dispersed and a very tall student appeared. It was then that my world changed with a very sharp intake of breath on my part.

His hair was a short messy dark brown that shimmered in the overhead lights of the hallway ceiling. His eyes were a deep blue and when I looked closer, I noticed a teal rim around it and dark gold flecks surrounding his pupils. He had high cheekbones, a very stubborn jaw that was lightly dusted with dark chocolate stubble. His skin was tawny and begged to be caressed. Muscle was well defined beneath the white t-shirt and red Columbia fleece he wore. I felt my eyes travel lower, and noticed he was wearing light colored jeans with rips at the kneecaps and shins that were obviously artificial. On his feet were a pair of white and black Nike Shocks and I knew instantly he was an athlete. I breathed in his very masculine and musky scent and reveled in it. Did he know that sandalwood was my favorite smell in the world? When I let my eyes go back to his face, I could feel my cheeks burning wildly. When I saw his expression that was very much unknown to me, my ears and neck got hot from mortification and my emotions went out of control.

_Mac!_ Aiden's voice was sharp in my head which caused me to cry out and have the stranger catch my waist with his long and lean arms. My hands clutched my head in pain as every other student's emotions poured into my body and mind. I was unable to sort out anything besides the feeling of being overwhelmed and how the light was slowly fading from before my eyes as I tumbled into darkness.

***

"Is she okay?" I heard my brother ask.

My brother? I didn't share my bedroom with him.

My eyelids fluttered and bright light made me gasp and reach a hand to my now pounding head. It was then I remembered. Getting overwhelmed, loosing my control. When that happened, I very rarely was able to stay conscious for very long. A warm hand clasped mine bringing my eyes to focus. I was in the nurse's office?

_Yes_, Aiden said.

_We were worried. That was the longest you've ever been out_. I could hear the relief and worry laced into Ravyn's voice.

"She appears to be fine," an elderly lady murmured, handing me an ice pack. I held it to my forehead and shivered at the coolness.

I sat up and Aiden rubbed soothing circles on my back. I leaned into him needing the reassurance. It was then a realization hit and I slammed a mental barrier down hard between my brothers and me. They wouldn't find out about my imprint till I was ready to tell them.

They jerked as if they had been shocked and I could feel their feeble attempts to enter my mind, familiar fluttering within my brain. I shook my head. "Mrs…." I looked down at her plaque that rested on her desk. "Mrs. Daniels. I'm fine now. I should get back to class." _How long was I out?_

_Ten minutes_. Wow, that was a long time for me.

Mrs. Daniels sputtered. "No, you were unconscious-"

"I'm unconscious more often then you would like to know. May I please go to first period?"

Her old, pudgy face turned red but she nodded. "I suppose, if you feel that's necessary. Take the ice pack with you," she instructed.

I stood up and threw a hand on Ravyn's arm to steady me. _I'm fine_, I reassured him when I saw the unease on his face.

They walked me to class and I could feel that they were edgy but knew it wasn't the time nor place to have a discussion about it. They deposited me at my French class and left me alone.

"Um, bonjour. I'm new here," I announced in a very confidence deprived way.

The teacher looked up from the chalkboard and studied me with hard brown eyes above old 1950's style glasses tilted on the bottom portion of her nose. "Why are you late?"

"I got lost," I lied.

There were a few low chuckles from the class but I ignored them.

"Oh. Well don't make it a habit of being tardy to my class. Take a seat at any open desk you can find."

I nodded and followed her orders, shuffling down the row stiffly. I dumped myself into the only available seat and was glad it was a girl beside me and not another male thinking lecherous thoughts.

By fourth period I was happy none of my family members shared my classes with me so far. I took a seat in the back of the room for advance placement biology. I was glad to learn that I would sit by myself.

It didn't seem to take long for a group of hormone induced human males to congregate around the table. They asked a myriad of questions all simultaneously making it difficult to answer a single one of them.

"A-hem," a voice said followed by a very dignified clearing of the throat. I suppressed my groan. Was it too much to ask to be apart from my brothers for _seven _hours? Really?

The males turned around to look at the intruder and instantly paled. They quickly walked back to their desks and sat themselves down without a single goodbye or backwards glance. Not that I minded, but still. I never ever got this kind of attention. It was somewhat nice.

A smug Aiden slid onto the barstool beside me and set his books on top of the science table.

I scowled at him and turned my concentration to the board the second the bell rang and a short, balding redheaded male walked in.

Aiden leaned in and whispered, "How're you doing?"

I ignored him.

"Aw, c'mon MacKayla! At least tell me you're fine," he insisted.

I glared at him before nodding.

When he grinned, I didn't even hesitate on flipping him the bird. And of course, from Mister Calm and Controlled, all I got was a low chuckle.

Lunch didn't seem to come fast enough for me. I spent my first four periods thinking about my imprint. I had no idea I would ever do such a thing! It didn't seem possible but as I replayed the scene over and over again in my head, no other explanation seemed to fit the way the world seemed so complete. Not to mention the fact that even though his name was unknown to me, I missed his presence and it unnerved me.

I met up with my family at lunch where they sat at a long table. Only five of the twelve ate but it seemed like a great illusion that the rest did so. The minute I joined he table, my eyes reached out and searched the crowd for my tall and beautiful imprint. I was sadly distraught to learn he wasn't anywhere I could see.

My eyes fell to the table and a tray was pushed in front of my line of sight. Immediately two warm arms pulled me into their chest and a kiss was brushed on my temple. Though I secretly needed what my father was giving me, I pushed him away and blushed a deep scarlet. "Dad!" I whispered. "You're going to embarrass me!"

He raised a brow but the worry on his face had me regretting pushing him away. He placed an arm around my waist and I couldn't help but lean my head on his shoulder. "Mac, what happened today?"

That brought the attention of the table solely to me and I paled. I was never one who enjoyed the spotlight. "Nothing," I lied, winding a strand of hair behind my ear.

My father's brown eyes narrowed. "Bullshit."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said brusquely and averted my eyes to the tray that my mother had given me. I fiddled with a bread roll and looked up for my imprint again but with no luck. I felt Aiden's attempts to get into my head and I made the barrier bigger, wider, and thicker.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he hissed at me.

"Doing what?" I asked innocently.

He scowled at me. "What is wrong with you today?"

My eyes snapped fire at his but I didn't answer him. I took the plate of uneaten food and stood up. I threw it in the trashcan and flung the cafeteria doors open, stalking outside to get some fresh air. I sat down on a wooden bench that was beside the sidewalk and ran my hands through my hair.

"Are you feeling better?"

I turned around nearly falling off my seat. My imprint smiled down at me and joined me on the bench. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized.

"No," I denied immediately, my cheeks getting hot for the millionth time that day. "No, you didn't scare me. Caught me off guard though," I conceded.

"You didn't answer my question. Are you okay?"

I looked up into his clear, dark blue eyes just as a ray of sunshine escaped the gray cloud cover. His hair had dark streaks of auburn in the sun, I noted. And it was beautiful. "I'm fine. I had a really bad headache."

"That caused you to faint?" he teased.

My mouth opened and closed, working to get words out that made any sense to someone other then myself. "Yes?" It came out as a question rather then a statement.

He smiled crookedly and it caused my heart rate to quicken. Oh, this human was so amazing –

Human. That word made me freeze, locked up my body, and scared me stiff. He was a human. I'll live for eternity. He'll live for less than a hundred years. I can command anything around me with my mind. He can't. I turn into a huge white wolf. He can't. My mother and her side drink the blood of animals. He only needs the blood already within his veins.

I stood up abruptly and grabbed my purse. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going."

He frowned. "But you just got here."

Yes," I amended, "but I really should get going. My family might get worried."

"Can I at least know your name?" he asked.

"MacKayla!" I shouted over my shoulder as I ran back towards the school. I went in through the side door to avoid the annoyingly protective people I lived with. It occurred to me then that I didn't even know his name. _I_ _didn't even know his name!_

But then why should I? _He's going to die. He's probably better off with out you, Mac_. I ran into the bathroom and slid down the wall until I sat leaning against it on the tiled floor. I was never this emotional. Never. So why was I now? Why was I crying in a bathroom stall that has seen one too many STDs? I definitely could not chalk this up to PMS either. That day was by far the worst in MacKayla Black history. I was known as a strong woman, a strong willed and levelheaded werewolf. There was no reason for this to be happening to me. No. Reason.

I stood up and splashed my face with cold water. I watched as the water dripped down until the bell rang. I dried my face and sauntered off to fifth period in a daze. It was Trigonometry and I assumed the stares I got meant something but I didn't care. I saw my brother Ravyn sitting down at an empty table and I stiffened. This is not what I needed right now.

The only open seat was beside him and I didn't miss the smug smile on his face. "Why are they all so shocked?" I asked needing a distraction.

"Sophomores usually take algebra II. Trig is mostly juniors and seniors."

"Why? It's easy."

He shrugged one massive shoulder as the bell rang and his green gaze rested on my face. "Wanna tell me what you're hiding?"

I shook my head. "No point in sharing it if I'm hiding it, right?" I smiled coyly.

"Mac," his voice softened. Ravyn was the only one who could break me and he knew it. "Mac, we're all worried about you. Please," he pleaded.

When Ravyn wanted to be, he was a very kind and trustworthy guy. If I told him, no way would anybody find out, not even if Aiden used the Alpha command on him. We learned that it didn't apply to those who qualified for the whole Alpha position.

So I leaned forward to copy the problem from the board and hid behind a curtain of black curls. "I imprinted," I whispered as quietly as I could manage.

Except he exploded. He stood up so fast the chair flipped over and made a loud boom. "What?" he shrieked. Almost. He almost used his power in front of the class of twenty-three.

"Mr. Black, is there a problem?"

Ravyn scratched his neck nervously. "Yeah, I don't really understand how that answer worked?" He turned it into a question.

"I'll help," I volunteered, placing a hand on his arm.

He picked his chair up and sat back down, his gaze never wavering from mine. "Who is it?" he whispered.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" he said too loud.

The teacher looked up at him and Ravyn waved, flashing Mr. Hunt a smile.

"Will you keep it down?" I hissed at him.

"What do you mean you don't know?" he hissed back in a much quieter voice this time.

"Exactly that. I don't know. Did a guy carry me to the nurse's office this morning?" My heart fluttered at the prospect.

"Yeah, why…" He trailed off. "Him? You imprinted on Wyatt Parker?"

Wyatt. His name was Wyatt. Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt. "Keep it down, Ravyn."

"Mackie, I can't believe this. I'm happy for you."

I raised a brow. "Oh? He's a human."

"So? There's always ways to fix that."

"I will _not_ make him vampire. I'll just leave him alone."

Ravyn snorted. "Yeah, MacKayla. Good luck with that. I give you a day tops."

I punched his arm. "Don't be rude. I can do it."

"Whatever, Little Mac."

I really hated that nickname. It started when the boys were first introduced to Big Mac's at Mc Donald's. Oh the joy. Because I was the youngest, I became Little Mac rather than Big Mac though Big Mac wasn't much better.

"Ravyn. Promise me you won't tell anyone! Not even Aiden no matter what he tries to do to you."

He frowned. "Why wouldn't you want the family to know? This is good news."

Not it wasn't. "Please, Birdie. I want to tell them in my own time."

Ravyn sighed. "I promise. You're lucky I'm great at keeping a secret."

Yeah, thank the Lord for that.

And not for the fact that Leah was now tripping into class, her face beet red.

Mr. Hunt turned to look at her with an agitated expression. "Miss Black, I presume?"

She nodded.

"Go take you seat," he instructed, his voice annoyed with her disturbance.

Leah sat down next to me, her face trying not to belay what she had been doing a moment ago. "Seriously," I whispered. "Can you two not make out every second of the day?"

She laughed quietly. "Not really."

Ravyn chuckled. "Man! I can't wait till I imprint."

I leaned forward over my notebook to hide my expression. _Wyatt_, my mind chanted_. Wyatt…_

When the bell rang, I nearly ran out of the room at break neck speed. My sixth period was AP English and I didn't even bother to hurry. I didn't want to be bombarded with any guys, not when I was so very taken with another.

I entered the stuffy room with thirty seconds to spare. I inwardly laughed exuberantly. Until I saw a deep blue gaze with dark gold flecks and a teal rim lock with mine. My breath caught and my foot hit a binder that was thrown carelessly on the floor. I was propelled forward thanks to the laws of gravity and I forced my instincts down so I would appear human. My body fell onto the carpet and my face hit the teacher's podium – though why it would be in a language class was beyond me.

I groaned as the class began to laugh at my klutziness, though in truth, I wasn't klutzy. Ever.

"Miss Black?" Mrs. Williams asked with concern.

I nodded and picked myself up. "I'm fine. Happens all the time."

"Are you sure?"

I rubbed my lower back. "Oh yeah," I said in strained voice. "I'm good."

To my complete chagrin and my complete joy, she had me sit next to the one person who had a boatload of control over me. He just didn't know it yet. As I situated myself beside him, I saw his face light up an instant before he frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked for the third time that day.

"Totally," I said in the same strained voice as before. I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I just wanted to make sure the carpet was soft."

His deep, melodic laugh reverberated through me and I melted. Became putty at his feet like in the movie Casper. "If you say so," he murmured. "So where did you move from?" he asked causally.

It made me wonder if I had the same affect on him as he did me. "Forks," I answered, jotting down the assignment Mrs. William wrote down on the board.

"Wow," he breathed. "That is a seriously small town."

I shrugged. _Perhaps, but to an immortal that only needed the woods to make her happy, the population count didn't matter_. "I guess," I said aloud. "Have you lived here all your life?"

"Yeah," he answered. He ran a hand through his shinny locks. "Three generations. It gets annoying when everyone in town knew you great-grandfather or went to school with you mom and dad."

_He should meet my family_, I thought. As class started, I did my best to ignore him. To ignore his warm, sandalwood scent that drove me crazy. I could have spent hours just smelling him. Not to mention his good looks. I stared at him in amazement. I didn't deserve to have an imprint. I was a hybrid, born of a hybrid. This shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have imprinted.

If what my father believed was true, that we imprint to pass the gene along, then how was it possible for me to imprint? How was that, even though my body has stopped growing, which means that I don't even have a menstrual cycle, how was it that I imprinted?

I froze as the thought occurred to me and I turned away from the Godlike creature beside me. Did this mean that I could have kids? Did this mean that I was meant to pass on the genes? I shook my head. _Don't get your hopes up, MacKayla._

I made sure that I ignored him for the remainder of the period and I was out the door once the bell rang, not wanting to give him a chance to get past my defenses. I was supposed to be leaving him alone but every time he looked at me, and I at him, all I wanted to do was stare at him until he talked to me in his beautiful voice. Or better yet, have him kiss me…

I shook my head and took determined strides to P.E. I froze. And screamed. Not out load but in Aiden's and Ravyn' heads. I saw them cringe and their heads whipped towards me. They both laughed. I almost smiled until I saw my dad and Aunt Alice come out from inside the locker rooms. I screamed louder in their heads. They both pressed their hands to their temples.

"Is it really that hard?" I mumbled beneath my breath as I walked towards them. "Is this school that small? Is the principle out to get me? What the hell?"

"Mac!" Alice yelled exuberantly.

I scowled at her and the rest of my family. She merely smiled. "Can I switch out of this class? I have too many classes with them." I pointed at my brothers.

My dad laughed and shook his head. He ruffled my hair. "Sorry, squirt."

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered and went to change.

When I came back out just as the bell rang, I became as still as a statue. There conversing with Ravyn, was Wyatt.

_Ravyn! Get away from him, you evil, vile beastie!_

Ravyn looked back at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes and he smiled devilishly.

I decided to use my superhero like hearing to eavesdrop.

"So, you have a thing for my sister?" Ravyn asked him point blank.

"Ahh…" I saw Wyatt scratch his neck. "I don't really know her that well. But yeah, I guess I do."

Ravyn's eyes got dark. "Just so you know, if you hurt her, you have me and our brother Aiden to beat the living crap out of you

Wyatt nodded. "I know how you feel. My younger sister just got her first boyfriend and when I saw them kissing, I wanted to rip his head off. Almost did."

Ravyn relaxed instantly and threw an arm over Wyatt's shoulders with a low laugh. "I have a feeling you and me will get along great."

I stopped listening and groaned. But the thought of Wyatt being protective of his younger sister melted something in the region of my heart. I walked over to them and threw Ravyn's arm off of Wyatt's shoulders. "Stop," I said to him. "People will get the wrong impression about you. See?" I jerked my chin to some guys staring at Ravyn. "They've already started ogling you. Nice going, Birdie." I laughed and walked away.

I heard Wyatt's booming laughter join mine and I grinned as wide as possible. I walked up to Aiden and wound my arm through his, pulling him away from the coach who was talking with Alice. "Did you hear what I said to Ravyn?"

Aiden smirked. "I think everyone in the gym did, Little Mac."

I scrunched my face up. "Oh well. It was worth it. How has your day gone so far?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Leah is in most of my classes. Too bad she isn't in this one as well. Now I don't have an excuss to grope her while playing basketball."

I shook my head at him. "You have problems."

Aiden laughed. "Don't I know it."

"Alright, class! Ten laps!" Coach Johnson ordered.

Groans erupted and I laughed. Ten was nothing. Try doing seven miles a day and that's just as a warm up. Wimps.

Since it was Monday, we had conditioning and it was difficult to make myself appear at least slightly weak. I wasn't weak in the least. I could bench press six hundred and twenty pounds without even breaking a sweat. Albeit that it's mostly due to my paranormal stuff but still! I had to pretend to only be able to bench press a hundred. And when I did, my father and Aunt Alice were glaring at me like it was still too heavy.

"So," Wyatt said idly as he spotted me on the bench. "One hundred. That is really impressive."

I shrugged my shoulders holding in the laughter.

_MacKayla! You are being so reckless!_

I mentally stuck my tongue out at Aiden. Using Wyatt's help, I put the bar back onto the stand and sat up. "When you grow up with my brothers, you have to be strong."

He grinned. I got up to spot him and watched as he placed two hundred and forty pounds on the bar. I squeaked. He looked up at me from beneath the bar. "What?"

"Yeah, two hundred and forty pounds is real wimpy. Totally."

He grinned lopsidedly and I melted again. I cleared my throat and concentrated on his reps. And tried really hard not to concentrate on his biceps. And abs. And pectorals. Did I mention he was shirtless? Well, he was. And his chest was so… mouth watering. It was bare, not a single hair or blemish on it and watching his muscles flex was extremely distracting.

I was salivating by the time he was done. I felt someone looking at me and looked up to meet Aiden's gaze as well as my father's. Shit.

_You imprinted! You fucking imprinted, MacKayla! That's what you've been hiding!_

I cringed and pressed a head against my head. Aiden always was the loudest when he was pissed. _No_.

Crap. _DON'T LIE TO ME!_

I fell to my knees and Aiden was at me side instantly pulling me against his chest. "God, Mac, I'm sorry," he whispered.

Wyatt sat up and eyed me strangely. "What happened?"

"She needs to get home," he said brusquely before lifting me into his arms and carrying me out of the weight room.

"Aiden!" I protested.

He didn't stop until I was outside of the room, standing in front of the girl's locker room. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

I leaned my head back on the wall. "I wanted to tell everyone on my own time. He's human, Aiden. I need time to come to terms with that."

He frowned. "Make him a vampire," he suggested, his brows creased.

"_No_! I will _not_ subjugate him to that kind of life style. I would rather watch him die of old age."

"You say that now, but just wait till it happens. You'll have wished you had turned him."

Aiden walked back to the weight room and I slumped against the wall before making my way into the locker room to change. By the time the bell rang I was out the doors and into my car to wait for my family, Aiden's voice still ringing in my head. And what hurt the worst was that it was the truth.

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**Poor little Mac! I'm not sure whether or not Wyatt will get his point of view in, but it could be possible. Click that green button and REVIEW, it'll cheer MacKayla up =]**


	2. Unsuccessful Strategies

**So I have decided that both Wyatt's and Mac's POVs will be in my story. Cheerrss because I have a lot of fun writing his point of view. I especially like the first one in this chapter. =] Enjoy**

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Chapter 2- Unsuccessful Strategies

_~Mac's POV~_

_Again._

_No._

I growled at Ravyn who was standing in front of me as an eight-foot tall black and gray wolf. It still surprised me how we weren't identical as wolves like we were as humans. My lips pulled back from my muzzle in a wolfy sneer, and my tail swished from side to side in annoyance.

_Mac_, he tried to pacify me. _This solves nothing. You know that. I know that. _

_So? _I countered. _It makes me feel better, doesn't it? _I began to circle him, hoping his wolf instincts would take over, accepting the challenge. He resisted.

_Wyatt wouldn't like this, Mac._

I howled at him and, using my hind legs, pushed myself forward and tackled him to the ground. I smiled in my head.

Ravyn was pissed as he pushed me off him, knocking me into a tree. _Happy now, MacKayla?_

_Hardly. _I tried to stand up right away but the breath had been knocked out of me and I had a bruised rib. I bit back a moan. As soon as I was able, I jumped to my feet.

_MacKayla, why don't you give up? I'm tired of this._

_Tired, huh? _I smirked at him, pushing the pain in my chest to some other part of my brain. It wasn't hard, I'd been trained well. _How about another round, Birdie._

I didn't wait for an answer. I charged him, biting into his neck. He howled, but it wasn't from pain. I didn't even break the skin. He howled because he didn't want to do this. I bit down harder, breaking the skin and tasting his rusty blood on my tongue. I didn't want him to go soft on me anymore. It was boring.

He growled and I increased the pressure of my canines against his skin. He pulled his hind legs up to his chest and before I had a chance to let it register in my mind, his powerful legs kicked forward into my stomach, propelling my body through the air. While I was flying, I smiled triumphantly; I had gotten him to lose control. However, as my body crashed into a large red wood, splitting it in two, the halves falling back down to Earth, I realized I had pushed him too far. And as my body was shuddering with the impact, I knew that I had acted selfishly.

I had wanted to forget my situation. Needed to think of someone else, of anything else, considering that fact that in an hour, we would have to leave for school and there he would be, the impossible, the one thing I wanted… and the one thing I couldn't have. The one thing that my heart had always been omitted, the missing link that had made me feel so alone when I was surrounded with people.

My imprint.

My body slammed into the mossy and damp soil. I gasped at the pain racking my body and tried to breathe but it was nearly impossible and I involuntarily phased back into my human form, shaking like a newborn baby. I had gotten what I had wanted from this, but I didn't want it anymore.

"_Mac! _Oh_ God!_" I barely heard Ravyn's screams as he rushed towards my broken body and barley felt his shirt that he draped over my body.

I was a fast healer, but it would be days before I would be fully normal again. "S'okay," I garbled, my voice slurred. I tried not to cough but I couldn't hold it in. I laughed bitterly, wearily. "I asked for this."

Ravyn knelt by my side. "Don't worry. Aiden is bringing Carlisle."

I snorted and winced at the pain in my ribs. Oh, Right. Broken, not only bruised now. I cupped Ravyn's cheek in my hand. "Rav… I've had worse." It wasn't a lie. I had.

We were fighting a few vampires up in La Push with our cousins. I had caught a scent and followed it. I was young and inexperienced. Stupid and cocky. The invisible trail I was pursuing opened up to a big clearing where the male vampire stood, facing me. He didn't give me a chance to breathe before he ran at me and shattered my arms and legs. He also broke my ribs, causing one to pierce my lungs, and knocked me out, so everything after that was just a black void of nothingness. But I had survived that one. Obviously.

Carlisle showed up and I sighed. On the plus side, there was always the chance of calling in sick at school. My heart cringed. Figures that even though I knew nothing about Wyatt, the mere thought of not seeing him today would kill me.

"But not because of me," Ravyn whispered so quietly that it barely brought me out of my thoughts, causing me to back track to what he was responding to.

I closed my mouth and decided to just stay quiet. I wasn't always known to say the best things in situations like these. So I let Carlisle get to work and let my brothers and the rest of my family yell and reprimand me. Lord knows I deserved it.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I didn't know why, but I stood there staring at the parking lot, had been for twenty minutes, my eyes never moving from it unless to check a car coming closer or a person passing by. I had no clue as to what kind of car she drove, the girl who haunted my thoughts like no other. The black haired, green-eyed beauty that appeared out of nowhere. All I knew about her was that she was strong, ran fast, and her name was MacKayla but most of her family called her Mac. That was it.

Though I knew what she looked like. She was tall, so tall, that it made me grin not having to look fully down at her, as I had to do with most girls. Her black hair was curly and long, hanging down to her waist in a way that when ever she moved, it swept behind her like a fan was blowing it. She was lean, built with muscle, but had such feminine curves that it would be impossible to view her as anything but a woman. Yet her eyes were what held me captivated the most. A medium green, they seemed to glow fluorescent, like light colored orbs.

She wasn't girly, either. Though she wore make up, it was just enough to make her eyes and full, plump lips stand out more against the russet color of her skin. She had worn jeans that hugged her legs in a way that should have been illegal, and her top… it had been the same color as her eyes and had fit her loosely, with a slight v-neck, it had hinted at the breasts that it hid beneath the cotton. I licked my suddenly dry lips and frowned. I shouldn't be thinking like this.

But I couldn't help it. She was in my every thought, like she was imprinted on my brain, a constant image on the TV screen that kept flashing, a broken record, an MP3 player on repeat. Over and over and over again… Her face, her legs, her smile flew through my head like a drug that my brain was addicted too. An illicit substance that I craved.

Before I knew it, I was searching for her face in everybody that passed me on the concrete steps of the school, praying she was one of them. I probably looked stupid standing there, but just to see her smile at me again was enough to endure the stares of my peers as they passed my still form.

Just as I saw a teal old Mustang pull into the parking lot, and a tall, lean, woman stepping out slowly, gingerly as if she were in pain, she stood and looked up at the sky with an expression I couldn't read, but her lips turned upward at the corners slightly as the lightly falling rain pelted her face, a pair of pail hands wrapped around my waist, slowly turning my body until I was facing her, but it was worth that small smile I had caught from a girl looking up into the rain.

"Wyatt," Amber whined. "What are you doing in the rain?" she sniffed in disdain, pulling her hood up higher over her hair, probably praying that the drizzle wouldn't ruin her perfectly straightened blond hair.

I tried to smile at her, but I found my lips not forming it until I thought of MacKayla and I started. I had a girlfriend. Another girl in my thoughts was not boyfriend behavior. It was _wrong_ behavior. So I forced my lips to grin at her and I pulled her against my body, my lips catching hers in a searing kiss that left me feeling oddly… empty.

I pulled back to see her satisfied smile lighting up her pale blue eyes and she reached up to swipe a stray piece of brown hair away from my wet forehead. "Let's get inside, shall we," she murmured, slipping her dainty hand through mine and I intertwined our fingers, forcing myself to leave the green-eyed beauty in the parking lot without a backwards glance even though I felt eyes glued to my back, burning a hole through my jacket.

_~Mac's POV~_

I stared at a large, brown haired man's back as he was walking into the school holding hands with a petite blond and I frowned, feeling confused. I had felt eyes on me and when I turned to see, nobody was looking at me anymore. But my eyes had instantly flown to the guy and his girlfriend of their own accord. With a small ounce of trepidation, I had a feeling I knew who he was and it pained me to know he was taken, but it was for his own good. I wasn't good for him, not at all.

If anything, I would be his disease, the thing that would kill him. He deserved a real life, a normal life. Not a life with a girl who had just gotten the shit kicked out of her because she was depressed. And probably a little sadistic.

I sighed. Was everyone in this family so damned dramatic? It must be my grandfather Edward and his genes. I feel like my life was somehow reflecting his situation with a previously mortal Bella Swan.

"How are you feeling?" Aiden asked, eyeing the arm I seemed to be favoring.

I smiled meekly at him. "Better," I whispered.

He narrowed his eyes at me and I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

I trudged unwillingly into the school and after visiting my locker, went straight to French class, not wanting to dawdle or be swarmed by flocks of hormonally charged teenagers. Not to mention how achy I was. I was in pain but I needed to see his face. Just once. That was all I needed.

Class went by slowly until it was finally lunch. I made my way gingerly to lunch, limping slightly, and ignored the line since there were always trays at the table that hadn't been touched by some vampire family members of mine. I slipped onto the bench with only a minor wince and true to my words, a tray was pushed my way.

I picked at the bread roll.

"Mac," my mother said, her voice fretful. "Do you need to go home?"

I shook my head, pushed my pain aside, into a file 'titled too tired to deal with', and took a bite of the pizza. My mother began to rub my back soothingly and I sighed. "I'm fine Mom."

She smiled a sad smile. "Says my daughter who broke three ribs, two toes, and dislocated her shoulder this morning."

I laughed and for once, it was almost carefree.

Until I heard the voice that I would hate for the rest of my life. For the rest of eternity.

"Wyatt! You are so funny!" a nasally voice exclaimed.

I turned slowly to meet Wyatt's dark blue gaze as he stared at me. A blond was wrapped around his arm and she stared at him with an utter helplessness about her. She lifted a hand to his chin and pulled his gaze away from mine and back to hers. He smiled down at her and lightly kissed her lips in a way that shattered my heart. Broke it into so many pieces it would be impossible to glue it back together. No tape, no Elmer's. Nothing would make me feel better.

I looked away as quickly as I had turned around and looked down at my tray of uneaten food. I had wanted this. Him having a life outside of the paranormal, the mythical, but the hurt was much more than I had previously thought. Once again, I was cocky and got ripped to shreds.

"Oh baby," my mother murmured and pulled me into her arms. "I am so sorry."

I shut my eyes and forced myself not to whimper in pain that her hug caused my sore ribs. I pulled away and put a smile on my face. I shrugged but grimaced as I stood up, throwing away my food and heading to class just as the bell rang.

Sixth period came too quickly. I didn't want to go to my language class and sit next to Wyatt. I didn't want the temptation. If I were anywhere near him, I would want to talk to him and if I were to talk to him, ignoring him would be nearly impossible. And if I couldn't ignore him, leaving him would be unattainable.

So when I walked into my English class and saw the tall, tawny skinned male sitting next to two open seats, my heart rate increased and I felt a very unfamiliar blush creep up to my face and stain my cheeks a deep scarlet. My gaze locked with his blue one and I had to lick my suddenly dry lips. Yes, ignoring him would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do in my long, long, life.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I watched transfixed as MacKayla Black walked briskly into class. She was blushing and it made her russet skin glow. Her hair was down again today and the light shinned down on her black curls making me wonder if it smelled as good as it looked. If it felt like silk. Would it be softer than Amber's?

I mentally shook my head. Thinking like this wouldn't get me anything more than a slap across the face. And the loss of a girlfriend. But honestly, when I thought that, my heart didn't mind it in the least. I loved Amber, right? I mean, at least used to, back when we first started going out. I was sure of it. But now that MacKayla seemed to take the limelight away from Amber, I noticed the annoying things she did. The way she would ignore others just because they were different from her or wore black with holes in their pants. The way her skirts were just barley regulation and sometimes she would get in trouble. How perfect her hair always seemed to be every day like imperfection was forbidden.

But just by looking at MacKayla made me think that she was different than Amber. The way she would smile at someone who passed by, but had a rugged appearance of someone who didn't take shit sitting down. Her eyes were oddly hard and yet soft at the same time and I knew that on the inside of her heart, past the barrier she erected around it, would be a softness that wouldn't even be comparable to a down comforter. Her façade was a bully attitude but I knew that if I got to know her, the inside of her would be gentle and kind. Compassionate. So unlike Amber.

MacKayla sat down beside me and didn't even bother to look at me. Did I do something wrong?

"Wyatt?" Amber asked sliding into the seat beside me. "Why do you look so sad?"

I frowned at her words. Sad? I smiled down at her small form. "You weren't beside me," I lied. I hadn't even realized she had been absent yesterday.

Her face lit up into an all out smile and she leaned up to kiss me. I didn't close my eyes like she did and I saw MacKayla stiffen in my peripheral vision. I pulled away quickly and looked back up front just as the teacher walked in.

"What is it?" Amber asked, a frown knitting her pale eyebrows together.

"Didn't want to get in trouble. I like being on the basketball team." That was partially the truth. But if coach knew I got caught kissing my girlfriend during class, he would tease me about it incessantly. Probably make me do a set of lines just to make it look like I was being punished.

She laughed and I found it irritating for the first time. What the hell was wrong with me?

"So, MacKayla," I said after Mrs. Williams had given out the assignment, "have you met Amber Allegar?"

MacKayla turned her head towards me rigidly and gave me a hard stare, her face a blank sheet of emotions but I noticed her wince as she moved. Was she hurt? "No," she muttered coolly. "I haven't."

Amber leaned forward to look around me and I noticed her scowl at MacKayla. "I'm Amber," she announced brusquely.

MacKayla raised a brow at her and I learned, though she said nothing to give it away, that she was a sarcastic person. "MacKayla." She turned her head back down to her lit book and began to read the assigned page.

Amber also looked away and I felt her grab my hand as she hummed the newest Britney Spears song. I forced my fingers to grip hers back but I couldn't tear my eyes away from MacKayla. Her head was rested on her hand, her palm splayed wide against the side of her soft looking neck, the tips of her fingers pressed against the underside of her strong yet feminine jaw. Her hair was so long that every few minutes she would have to re-tuck a tendril of it back behind her ear, removing the black curtain from obscuring her face from my view.

I noticed everything she did. I counted the amount of times she blinked before she would turn the page. She bit her lip three times. Laughed silently at four funny parts. One time she even threw her head back and full out laughed. The entire class had stopped to look back at her but she didn't blush until she looked at me staring at her and immediately went back to reading.

I smiled at her. However, on the inside, I was confused. So dreadfully bewildered. Never had I done something like that. I never counted Amber's number of blinks. Was never so entranced by her beauty that looking away was too difficult to face. Never sat around waiting for her to show up to school. Never.

Amber squeezed my hand tightly beneath the table, finally dragging my attention away from MacKayla. I needed to see a psychiatrist or something. "Baby, I'm going to go to the bathroom," she informed me.

I looked up at the clock. Ten minutes. I had been staring at MacKayla for ten minutes. "Okay?" It came out as a question. Why would I care? Oh, yeah, because I was her _boyfriend_. I cleared my throat. "Alright." There, was that an appropriate boyfriend like thing to say to a statement like that?

Apparently, since she nodded and pecked my cheek before standing up and asking the teacher if she could use the restroom, popping her pink gum loudly. Annoyingly. I hadn't noticed that she did that a lot. I looked back at MacKayla and she turned abruptly, swinging her legs over so she faced me, sitting sideways in her chair.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" she asked, her voice didn't give away any emotion but the blush told me she was either self-conscious or embarrassed.

So I opted for the truth, not wanting to make it uncomfortable for her. "I really don't know," I answered, leaning forward slightly to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear like I had watched her do so many times. It was _exactly _as soft as it looked.

Her breath hitched and she licked her lips, dragging my attention to them. They were light pink, and plump, begging for a kiss. When I comprehended the fact that I wanted to kiss her I leaned back into my chair and tried to calm my racing heart. I wasn't a cheater. Wyatt Braden Parker didn't cheat on his girlfriend no matter how tempting she was. My morals wouldn't allow me to. Even though my mind begged me to.

I saw a veil pass over her eyes before she inquired quietly, "How long have you and Amber been going out?"

I scratched my neck, thinking. "Uh, about four months." That long? Damn. You would think that all those things I hated about her, I would've observed before that moment. I wanted to tell her that we wouldn't last much longer, but I didn't want to make her annoyed with my problems and I certaintly didn't want to suffocate her. Or intimidate her. Or give her the wrong impression.

Wait, since when was I so insecure? And why was I acting like I hadn't ever had a girlfriend? I've had several before Amber, but it was like I was inexperienced all of a sudden.

MacKayla stared at me for a long moment before she opened her mouth to speak. "That's nice," she mumbled and turned back to her lit book.

That's nice? That's _all_? I would've asked her about it but Amber came back through the door and sat beside me, so I turned around and opened my book.

She was wiping her hands furiously on my jeans and I frowned at her. She looked up at me with an aggravated expression. "There was no paper towels," she sneered. "Really, how hard is it for the janitors to keep up with the rolls? Honestly. They are so lazy." She kissed my cheek, opened her literature book to the page written on the board, and started humming the same song again while popping her gum.

I suppressed my groan and stared at her incredulously. How did I not know how rude she was? Janitors weren't lazy. They had one of the hardest, most undesirable of jobs. You shouldn't be ungrateful of what they have to do. They clean the bathrooms, something I knew would make Amber gag. She hates to use public bathrooms and even carries her own toilet seat cover around in her oversized handbag.

I began reading but my gaze was dragged to MacKayla again. She felt my eyes on her and looked up, only to blush again. I laughed in my head when I realized I just liked making her blush, liked how it added a glow to her skin, rather then just liking the way she looked.

I jumped when Amber's hand landed on my thigh. I saw MacKayla turn to me with a frown. I picked Amber's hand up and set it back in her lap. She gave me an open-mouthed expression, like I had just broken some unspoken rule, but I didn't want her touching me like that. It repulsed me. So I picked her hand back up and pressed a butterfly kiss to the back of her knuckles. "I don't want to be too distracted," I lied again.

She smiled. "Sorry," she said unabashed, a mischievous glint glittering in her pale eyes.

The minute the bell rang, I noticed that MacKayla was going to leave quickly and I wanted to walk her to her next class since we shared it. "I'll see you after class, Amber," I told her not even sparing her a glance as I said it. My eyes were on MacKayla.

MacKayla stopped in mid reach for her purse and looked up at me with wide eyes. I saw fear in them though I didn't understand why she would feel that way. I wasn't some kind of rapist.

"Can I walk with you to your next class?" I asked eagerly.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice wavering. I saw the vulnerable look on her face and it killed me. She was sad and scared and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her and soothe her, calm her down. To comfort her.

So instead, I tucked a strand of her silky hair back behind her ear and smiled kindly as I answered her. "Because I want to."

_~Mac's POV~_

"Because I want to."

I stared at Wyatt in disbelief. For the past hour, I had tried so hard to ignore him. To ignore _her_. Every time Amber touched him, I would stiffen and I couldn't help it. Your soul mate with another? Heart breaking. But I could feel his gaze on me. The entire time I had sat there reading, his dark blue eyes with gold flecks was resting on my face. It was so difficult not to look up that I wasn't sure how I fought the urge.

Yet I couldn't help but notice how when she would try to be intimate with him, he would get distant, as if he didn't like her. His eyes were emotionless when he looked at her, and hers were naïve and filled with love, until she looked at me. Then all that mushy gushy love crap was replaced with hatred. I could feel her emotions when she looked away from Wyatt and towards me. Jealousy, malice, and exasperated feelings were thrown at me. And when she touched his upper thigh, lust humming through her, I wanted to rip her head off her shoulders and drop kick it through the wall. Possessiveness was a shocker and it had kept me still rather than to go ridged again.

But what shocked me even more was how he lifted her hand up and placed it in her lap. Disgust was thrown at me from him and bewilderment and alarm emanated from her. Then he had lied to her. It made me so confused. Was my imprint a horrible person?

As he stood so close to me, his musky scent tinged with sandalwood invading my senses, I knew that he wasn't a bad person. The look on his face when he asked to walk me to class told me he wanted to be near me as bad as I did towards him. The way he wound my curls behind my ear with a tender expression caused my mouth to dry and my heart to race.

So to keep myself from kissing those very tempting lips of his, I stepped back. "Okay," I murmured and turned towards the door not waiting for him to follow me.

He easily fell into step beside me and had not problem keeping up with my brisk pace. "Here, you forgot this," he said, slipping my purse onto my arm that caused me to recoil since it was the arm I had dislocated that morning.

I didn't pause but I slowed down to look at him as we descended that stairs at the end of the hallway. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, concern evident on his face.

"Uh, yeah, I, uh, fell down the stairs at my house this morning."

He frowned. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged and forced myself not to cringe in pain. "It's no biggie."

He nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. I felt confusion from him, like I had in class while he was staring at me. I knew that walking in silence would be awkward and though I needed to ignore him, I gave up my battle and spoke. "Do you play basketball?"

He looked over at me and nodded, his eyes enthusiastic. "It just started. Do you play?"

I laughed. Basketball? Yeah right! "No, I'm not any good." That was a lie but he wouldn't notice. I would've loved to play but as a rule, Cullen's don't partake in sports since we had more advanced speed and reflexes, it would be too much of a risk to our secret. It was why most of us don't have P.E. Here, you only need two years of it, so Carlisle lied and said the older ones had taken P.E. at their old school.

Wyatt smirked at me. "I doubt you suck, MacKayla." Why was it whenever he said my name, it made me shiver when I wasn't cold?

"Mac," I corrected, but mentally slapped my forehead. This wasn't helping the distance I was supposed to be placing between us.

I saw him smile and knew that I shouldn't have done that instantly. He stopped in front of the double doors to the gym and tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear for he third time that day. "Mac," he conceded. As his hand withdrew from my hair, his warm palm slid across my neck leaving goose bumps in its wake. I shivered, but not from being cold.

His hand slowly made its way up my neck to the underside of my jaw and he caressed my jaw line with his thumb as he cupped my cheek with his large hand. His thumb moved to the sensitive skin beneath my eye and he traced the skin there, staring into my eyes deeply. "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."

My breath hitched in my throat and my heart rate sped up. I wanted him to kiss me, I realized. No, I needed it, not wanted it. I closed my eyes trying to will the unfamiliar lust away. I had never felt like this before and it scared me.

Wyatt's thumb lightly stroked my eyelid and, shocked, my eyelids flew open of their own accord. "Don't be self-conscious. It was the truth." He looked sheepish and I felt guilt seeping from his pores with my gift. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He dropped his hand and I missed it immediately.

"I'm sorry," he apologized for something he didn't need to and walked through the doors and into the gym, leaving me to stand in the hallway feeling strangely bereft without him.

I groaned aloud and hung my head. Ignoring him now would be extremely impossible now. And falling in love with him would be inevitable.

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**Please review!**


	3. Freinds

**I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update and i sincerly appologize. For some odd reason this chapter was really hard for me to write. I had to take it days at a time, slowly adding bits and peices to it. I wanted to add that I made the storyline and if I were to follow it completely, it would be roughly 37 chapters. I knew that it would be longer then Conffesions in Moonlight, but I had no idea it would be that much longer!**

**I also wanted to thank all of my reviewers! 60 for just two chapters! I am truly honored by each and everyone of you!**

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Chapter 3- Friends

_~Mac's POV~_

I sat and stared through my windshield at the trees surrounding the school. I was tired from dreams that left me exhausted. Dreams that involved a certain Wyatt Parker. After Wyatt left me in the hallway the day before, I decided to skip class; my emotions and thoughts too conflicted to be around anyone and function coherently. I sighed and ran a hand through my long hair, feeling oddly unruffled. But I was getting accustomed to feeling that way, though. With Wyatt, it was hard to tell my own emotions from someone else's.

I heard a soft knock on my window and jumped, clutching my now racing heart. I slid the window down and took in Wyatt's amused face. The rain glistened in his hair making it look black rather than brown. His face was flushed red from the chilly air. It _was_ November after all.

"I'm sorry," he said but his voice belayed his delight in the situation.

"I'm sure you are," I muttered dryly, rolling the window back up and opening the door, stepping out into the bitter air. I leaned in to grab my backpack. Just as my fingers reached the black material, I heard a sharp intake of breath, freezing me one the spot. Frowning, I grabbed my bag and turned around to see Wyatt no longer looking at me. "Is something wrong?" I asked, startled.

He turned around as if he had been that way from the begging. "Ah, no, you, ah, no. Nothing is wrong. Peachy," he said urgently. His face flushed. "Shall we go in?"

I eyed him hesitantly, before looking around and biting the inside of my lip wearily. "Where is Amber?" I had aimed for kindly asking it, but I'm sure it came out in my normal bitchy manor.

Wyatt scratched his neck, and I noted that it was his nervous habit. "She's absent. Amber doesn't like school and her mother lets her do whatever. So she skipped, as usual."

He began walking towards the school and I followed after him, falling into step beside him. "Where is your family?"

I hitched my bag up higher up on my shoulder. "Inside. I was sitting in my car for awhile." _Avoiding you_, I almost added. I bit my tongue. It was so easy to say too much around him.

He looked over at me as we continued up the steps. He cut me off and turned around suddenly, stopping in front of me. He stared down at me, the steps adding to our already height difference. "Why do you hide from people?"

I started. "_Hide_ from people?" I

He nodded. "Yeah, hide from people. You don't talk to _anyone_ that isn't your family unless that person is me. You eat lunch with _only_ your family. You sit in your car _alone_. I would say you like to hide."

I laughed indignantly. "I do _not _hide, Wyatt. I just like to keep to myself. I enjoy solitude and nature. Besides, there are people who have many faces and are quick to judge." I moved around him until I reached a step that would put us at equal eye level. "I don't hide."

He reached forward and swept a piece of hair behind my ear causing my heart rate to quicken and the blood in my veins start to bubble. "I didn't mean to upset you, _mon __chéri__._"

I laughed. "French, huh? So I'm your darling?" I teased, the anger inside me dissipating as sudden as it had come along.

His dark blue eyes danced with mirth. "Of course, _mademoiselle_!"

I smiled at him. French was such a romantic language. And he made it sound like angles wings were flying in the breeze. Magical. "You take French?"

"Took French, yes. The only class I was good at." He placed his hand at the small of my back causing my breath to come in quick gasps and walked up to me until he reached my step and he dropped it, leading me into the school.

I felt my brows furrow in confusion. "But how could you have already taken it? You can't take a foreign language till you're a sophomore."

He frowned at me. "I'm a senior, Mac."

I chocked. "What? But you're in my English ten class!"

He laughed, stopping at my locker and leaning against the one's beside it. "I suck at English, but am amazing at French. Go figure."

I opened my locker and threw my backpack in it. I grabbed my French notebook and closed the door. "So what, you're fluent in French?"

He nodded with a large smile. "_Oui_. I could tutor you, if you want," he offered.

I had a photographic memory, why would I need tutoring? "That would be nice," I said instead.

The bell rang and I felt a frown pull the corners of my lips down. Wyatt noticed and laughed. "Hate school that much huh?"

I groaned and turned to walk to class. He was right beside me. "N'avez-vous pas biendormir?" _Did you not sleep well?_

I grinned at him. "Pas vraiment." _Not really_.

"You know," he drawled, "you speak French so well, I would assume it was your second language."

I stopped walking once we reached the room. "My grandmother speaks it," I half lied. She did, but only because I asked her to so I would have someone to speak French with who would understand me. "In a way, maybe it is my second language."

Wyatt stopped moving and stood in front of me. He reached forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering a little longer than necessary on the vulnerable spot behind my ear, sending shivers down my neck and arms.

"Why do you always do that?" I found myself whispering breathlessly. I mentally did the palm plus forehead equation.

He withdrew his hand immediately and I missed its warmth, instantly feeling bereft. "I don't want to be late. I'll see you later, MacKayla." He turned on his heel and left.

I frowned at his haste and muttered, "Vous ne serez pas s'éloigner de moi si facilement, Wyatt Parker." _You won't be getting rid of me that easily, Wyatt Parker_. "Not now that you are so forever etched inside of my heart."

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I hurried off to chemistry, hoping Mac would forget that every time I was near her, I would tuck a tendril of her smooth, silky hair behind her ear. How could I be so stupid? I was flirting with her, I knew that, but stopping seemed so hard that I was doing it without even realizing it. Not until she mentioned it. It was bad enough that when she bent over to grab her bag that morning, I had stared at her butt. She was wearing skinny jeans again and it only accentuated her curves. And ass. It was so bad that I had been extremely tempted to see if it was as firm as it looked. Very. Tempted. I had to turn around and force images into my head that would turn me _off _rather than _on_. Like my Aunt Gretchen naked. I shuddered at the thought.

I took my seat besides my friend Jeremy and watched as a brawny Emmett and a stunning Rosalie Cullen sauntered into class holding hands. _Mac's siblings_, I thought.

Emmett and Rosalie sat down at a table beside mine and I noticed Emmett was watching me intently. I looked over at him and his dark golden eyes were looking dangerously at me. He was intimidating, but I was a hard one to scare.

Jeremy nudged me in the ribs with his elbow and I looked over at my blond friend. "What?"

Jeremy laughed, his green eyes amused. "Why do you not get scared like you should? Emmett and his brother Jasper already threatened Greg and Ryan for flirting with their girlfriends. And dude, he is staring at you."

I shrugged. "He won't hurt me." _As long as Mac is my friend. If I were to hurt her, _then_ I would be scared._

"What's up with you and Amber?" he asked abruptly.

I sighed. "I don't know. I… honestly? I can't stand her."

Jeremy glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. "No one can, yet everyone wants her. How you put up with her as long as you did amazes me. By now, I would have ringed her neck just for being so stupid."

I couldn't help but laugh. Jeremy wasn't known for his acts of kindness. When the teacher dispersed us for our labs, I wasn't at all surprised to find a chair sitting beside me. Emmett sunk down in it.

"I need a partner," he said, his dimples flashing as he spoke.

"Me to," I said calmly. I looked over at Jeremy who shrugged and went to find his own partner.

He sighed. "You aren't an easy one to daunt," he stated.

"Not really. I grew up with five older brothers. Had to learn not to scare easily if I wanted a chance to survive."

His odd colored eyes studied me. "Is there something going on with you and MacKayla?"

I answered the questions out of the book, writing them down on a sheet of paper while I spoke. "No. I want there to be, but I have a girlfriend. I would never cheat on her, no matter how much I dislike her. Not too mention that Mac is only fifteen." I had this problem with never putting my foot in my mouth. I always said too much. So I looked over at Emmett, waiting to either get punched or lectured about his sister and what he would do to me.

"You know," he said after a moment, "you wouldn't be so bad for my sister. She needs someone who won't back down. She is the total opposite of her mother. Daring and headstrong. And I'm sure either Aiden or Ravyn have given you the talk. I like you."

He leaned in close. "But I will a hundred percent put a cap in your ass if you hurt her in any way."

I nodded. Was I really that stupid? As if I didn't already know that. "And I'm sure I would deserve it too."

Emmett blinked and gave me an peculiar look before bursting into laughter causing everyone around us to stop and watch.

_~Mac's POV~_

I stared at the clock as the hands moved clockwise with infinite slowness. I felt my eye twitch and for a second, it seemed like the clock stopped moving. I was so hungry, that when my stomach growled, my neighbor would give me a funny look so I just smiled at her. And of course, when she turned back around, I made a face at the back of her ugly head.

The small hand got closer to ending the minute, and my hands gripped my purse tighter. I was ready to bolt straight to the cafeteria the very second the bell rang. I hated lines; I wasn't exactly a patient person.

When the second hand got to the twelve, I stood up, and everyone looked back at me. I sighed and sat down. Of _course _the clock would be fast. Of all the days for that to happen.

Aiden chuckled. "Why would you leave so fast? Just grab Edwards's plate. He's too busy playing with Bella's hair to really pick at his food."

I sighed again. "Being this hungry makes your mind loose brain cells."

"No it doesn't." He smiled widely. He just loved it when I had moments of blondness. They were rare, but when they happened, he enjoyed making hem last.

"Are you a doctor? I think not."

He smirked. "Mac, really." He tsked me. "I think you should eat a healthier breakfast."

"I didn't eat breakfast, and I'm not stupid!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh really? Wanna make a bet?"

"Not particularly. I don't want to aid you in you gambling. You need GA, Gamblers Anonymous."

He laughed. "No, that's Jasper and Emmett. I just like to indulge every once in awhile."

The bell rang and I stood up, knowing Aiden was right. I could just steal my grandfather's tray. I did however walk quickly. It felt as if my stomach was gnawing on my organs. I sat down and a tray was instantly pushed in front of me. I dug right in, not pausing at all.

"Mac," my mother chided, sitting down beside me. "You shouldn't eat too fast. You'll get a stomach ache."

"It would be no worse then what I already have," I answered, my mouth full.

Rosalie laughed. "People are gonna think we starve you."

"Didn't you eat breakfast?" my dad asked, taking a seat beside my mother. He grabbed her hand and began to eat his own lunch while toying with her fingers.

"No, I overslept this morning."

"You never do that." He frowned.

I shrugged. And burped. My plate was empty.

"Nice one," a deep voice said.

I looked to my left as Wyatt sat down beside me. Did I just burp in front of my imprint?! And was he really _not_ grossed out?!

"Ah… thanks…" I sputtered.

My mother discreetly passed me her tray. I nodded my thanks and shoveled the mashed potatoes into my mouth, trying hard not to be self-conscious. But it was difficult.

"Sup?" Emmett drawled, taking a seat in front of Wyatt. Rose scooted over to him.

Wyatt shrugged. "Nothin' much."

"Hey bro!" Ravyn shouted, giving Wyatt a high five and sitting beside him.

_Oh dear God, please kill me now! _I pleaded in my head. I was never so severely embarrassed as I was in that moment.

"So," I said, praying that it was causal, "where are Leah and Aiden?"

Ravyn gave a disgusted expression, wrinkling his nose up. "Making out in the hallway. It's pretty gross. Like they don't do that at ho…" he trailed off, catching his almost slip up. According to what we tell the public, she doesn't live with us. She just happened to move here at the same time. She even used her own last name, though they were engaged. "So," he said, turning towards Wyatt, "did you catch the Seahawks game Sunday?"

"Yeah, I can't believe the refs didn't call the safety…" I droned out the words, only listening as my perfect imprint spoke, and the sound of his voice, lulling me, making me calm.

It wasn't until he had stopped talking, that I realized my eyes were closed and my head was resting on his hard shoulder. It was muscled and comfortable, as if it were made especially for me. The entire table grew silent, and I opened my eyes. Wyatt was staring at me with an incredibly soft expression and all I wanted was for him to kiss me. I closed my eyes, trying not to make a wish. _For him to love me…_

Whoa… where did that one come from? Left field? Or had I been thinking it from the beginning, my subconscious just ignoring it? It sent of an array of questions through my brain, all of them flying through my head so fast it was not easy to sort through them. _Does he feel the same connection I do to him? Does he want me? Does he care? Does he feel the sparks that fly when we touch?_

I sat up, my head feeling heavy. My eyes were still closed so when I reopened them, I was more than surprised to see the table empty save for us. I blinked and saw my family sitting at another table.

_Wanted to give you two some privacy_, Ravyn told me.

I smiled my thanks and looked up to see Wyatt now sitting before me rather then beside me.

"Why did you move?" I asked timidly.

"So I could see your eyes better," he answered.

I felt my cheeks warm. They never did that, not unless he was near. "So…" I muttered, wanting to change the subject.

"So?" he smirked.

I sighed. "I don't know. What's your favorite color?" I asked.

He grinned, and for the first time, I saw his dimples. How had I never noticed them before? They were deep crescent moons and I loved them on his face. "Green," he responded automatically.

I flushed knowing that it was probably because he was staring into my eyes.

"What's yours?" he inquired softly.

"Uh… it's dark blue I guess."

He nodded his head. "What's you favorite food?"

I laughed. "Ice cream. Or a roast beef sandwich from Safeway. With mustard and mayonnaise and lettuce and onion." I closed my eyes, savoring the memory of the taste. _That _was definitely my favorite food.

He chuckled lightly. "I'll have to remember that," he said so quietly, that even with my hearing, I wasn't sure I had caught it correctly. "I'll eat most of anything. I'm not a picky eater."

"What's your favorite sport?" I asked, taking a sip of the apple juice my mother had given to me.

"Basketball, definitely. But football and soccer are great too. Snowboarding is awesome in the winter. But we have to go all the way down to Mount Hood. It's a long drive."

"Snowboarding rocks," I said. "Football is fun when I play it with my brothers. It gives me an excuse to tackle them."

Wyatt smirked at me. "Are you competitive?"

I nodded. "Extremely competitive." I thought for a second, his stare making me want impossible things. "Do you love Amber?" I whispered.

His eyes widened before a veil was dropped over the stunning blue. "I don't know," he whispered back.

"You don't know?" I repeated, feeling confused.

Guilt was emanating from him as he looked down at his plate, his eyes not betraying any emotion whatsoever. "Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I used too, but now… now I don't know."

I reached forward and placed a soothing hand on his forearm. "I'm sure you two will work it out," I whispered.

He sat back in his chair and threw his arms up. "But I don't even know if I want us to work out!"

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy, but perfect hair. "I almost can't stand being around her. The little things she does drives me insane. Sometimes, I just want to kill her," he confessed in hushed tones.

"All great relationships have a breaking point. Like I said before, it'll be fine in the end." The words felt like acid on my tongue. My heart clenched and unclenched with every word of advice I told him, and it prayed that I would never have to give him up. That he would be too stupid to follow my advice.'

"We were never a great relationship, Mac. We liked the idea of a relationship, but we didn't acutely have one. At least not a good one."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" I asked, exasperated with the fact that I was trying to help and he didn't seem to want it.

"I don't know."

"What?" I asked sarcastically. "Is that your mantra of the day, or something?"

He laughed and scratched his neck again. I bit the inside of my lip. "I suppose. I have been saying it a lot, haven't I?"

I nodded. "Oui."

He chuckled again, and it caused my heart to flutter. He glanced up at the clock. "We should get going; the bell should ring in a few minutes."

I nodded and reluctantly stood up.

"What's your next class?" he wondered, walking beside me towards the door.

"Trig," I answered. I bit my lip when his upper arm brushed against mine, trying to force myself to relax.

He glanced over at me. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're good at math."

I smirked. "You could say that."

We stopped at Mr. Hunt's door and I turned to face Wyatt. I could see the hesitancy in his eyes as he stared at me deeply. His blue eyes were glowing with their intensity and he leaned forward, cupping my cheeks in his hands.

From the look in his eyes and from what I had seen on TV or in movies, I knew he was going to kiss me. Though my lips were technically virgins, I could already feel his lips against mine as he lowered his head even more. I wanted to groan in frustration at his lack of speed. I watched his eyes scrutinize mine until I closed them. I could feel his breath against my face and my heart sped up in expectation. My breathing hitched and tried to wait patiently.

The bell rang and he jumped backwards. My eyes now open, I observed the guilty look in his eyes and felt it wrenching at my gut. I watched as he breathed in and out heavily before he said quietly, "I'm sorry," and he turned away, walking back down the hallway.

I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes, picturing what could have been. It would've been amazing. Perfect. I just new it.

Once my heart had stopped racing and my thoughts were at least partially coherent, I went to class and saw Ravyn already seated.

He raised a brow at me as I sat down. "What?" I whispered.

"Don't act like I didn't see that little exchange in the hallway."

I rolled my eyes. "Well good for you," I muttered.

When the bell rang, I almost ran to sixth period but Wyatt was there outside the door of my trig class and I smiled at him appreciatively. He led me down the hallway and towards English.

"Wyatt?" I said after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"What… are we?" I whispered hesitantly.

He finally looked at me as we traversed down the hall. "What do you mean?" I could hear the bewilderment in his tone. In his flawless baritone.

"I mean… this." I gestured between the two of us. "What are _we_?" For a person of many words, I sure seemed to be lacking. Around him it was as if I were verbally impaired.

"I guess we're friends," he stated as we sauntered into class.

It pulled at my heart but being _anything _with him was better then nothing. "Friends," I agreed.

We talked about nothing and about everything. What kind of weather we liked. Where we would love to live. What was most important to us. We joked about the French teacher, Mrs. Carondolet, and her ugly 1950's style glassed that rested on the end of her nose. About what we wanted to do with our lives, though I had to lie about mine. Bands and movies and TV shows. Favorite siblings and the most annoying things they do.

The more we talked, the more I wanted to be with him. The more my heart grew and made room to let him in. I knew that it would be disastrous for him to feel the same thing, but we were only friends, right? So I could take a selfish moment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a few of those every once in awhile.

Right?

_~Wyatt' POV~_

I walked MacKayla to her car after school. It was a beautiful Mustang and I knew from the day before that it purred perfectly and just the sound made you want to drool. I had learned that she liked cars. Fixing them up, driving them, and even just admiring them.

I stared at her as she leaned against the driver's side door and my mind replayed the flashback of after lunch. What I had almost done.

I had seen her eyes take in mine, her lips part in anticipation. I had leaned forward, needing to feel her soft lips against mine, needing the connection. Needing her. I got closer and watched her eyes darken just before she closed them. I reveled in the feel of her skin beneath my palms and leaned in closer until my lips were a millimeter away from hers. I could feel her breath coming out in quiet gasps against my face.

And when the bell rang, it broke me out of the trance she had over me. I had leaped back and saw her eyes slowly open to look at me. From what I had seen there, I knew she would have let me kiss her. And it killed me. It killed me how easily it was for me to get attracted to her. How easily it was for me to break a promise to a girl that technically belonged to me.

Guilt rid me hard until I looked at her again in English. And my heart nearly leapt form my chest when she declared us friends. Because that meant I would see her more. Be near her more.

A car starting beside us broke me out of my revire. The need to touch became all consuming and the only thought in my head as I stared into her striking green orbs.

I reached forward until my hands were brushing her soft, silky hair, fulfilling my addiction. I stared into her brightly glowing green eyes. I let my hand travel lower, stroking her soft cheek. My fingers caressed her cheekbone and I felt longing fly through me. And because I could comprehend the fact that I was about to willingly break my moral and ethical codes yet again, I let my hand drop from her face reluctantly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mac," I forced the words out, not wanting to leave her for a second.

"Yeah, uh, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," she replied shakily, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

I turned back to the school heading for basketball practice. Like I could play with my trembling legs? With the thoughts that centered on her, stealing my sole focus?

Yeah right.

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**Please review!**


	4. The Breaking Point

**Thank God they fixed it! This chapter has been done for two and a half days! The stupid glitch was really getting on my nerves. **

**This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful and awesome my hubby is no edward for giving me the inspiration for this chapter. And i want to warn you that there is an intense scene that might make you uncomfortable if you don't like that kind of thing, so it's ok if you skip it. My feelers won't get hurt =]**

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Chapter 4- The Breaking Point

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I dribbled the basketball with great efficiency, taking comfort from the sound of it hitting the gym floor. I had been so distracted the day before at practice that Coach Johnson ordered me to have a private practice with him the following morning. But he had to step out for some reason, which left me alone for a period of time. I was grateful because now I didn't have to pretend I could pay attention to whatever it was he was either saying or doing.

MacKayla Black was on my mind constantly. She was some alien invasion, taking over my brain and controlling the things I do, taking away my will power to fight it. Yet I didn't want to fight it. So honestly? I _loved_ the fact that she was all I could think of. I loved how when I saw the color green, I saw her eyes. Or when I saw anything French, I thought of how beautiful she made the language sound whenever she spoke it. How the small lilting of her voice afterwards warmed me in a way nothing ever had.

She even took over my dreams. I should be cranky form the lack of sleep she's caused me, but I couldn't stay mad at her for long. I was just so happy that in my dreams, we could be together, rather then apart. I missed her presence in an unhealthy manor. I needed to hear her voice like I need the air in my lungs to survive. She was the epitome of what was awe inspiring and perfect. Angelic.

The day before, I was so happy. Nothing made me mad; nothing could take me down from the cloud nine I was perched so loftily upon. The self-induced high was like a drug I was addicted to and I couldn't wait for her to bring me up to that same peak, the peak where I lost all sanity and everything that passed through my head was _her_. Her face, her eyes, her hair… her everything because she was _my _everything.

I froze. I had never felt this way before. The insatiable pull I felt towards her was both exciting and terrifying. I knew that staying away from her would be the death of me. That to even try to accomplish it at this point wasn't even an option. Because the strings that seem to have linked me together with her would never break, never snap and rupture the spell between us. I knew I wasn't in love, but I was sure heading for it. And it caused my heart to speed up into a frenzy. I wasn't ready for that yet, but I was ready to finally be with Mac so openly. To not hide the fact that she was my drug. My single lit flame that illuminated the dark room with light and reason.

I shook my head. I needed to focus, and her being my focal point didn't help my concentration a single bit. She was the planet and I was the sun, orbiting around her, needing her. I laughed. Well, wasn't I a poet all of a sudden?

I drew back to shoot the ball just as the gymnasium door was thrown open, catching me off guard. I missed and the ball bounced off the rim and was heralded back at me with enough force that I hardly had a chance to catch it. The door's click as it closed echoed around the walls, ricocheting back at me as well as the clickety clack from high heels, which dragged my attention to the female approaching me wearing a short skirt, a revealing v-neck tank top and at least four-inch heeled shoes despite the mid thirty degree weather outside.

Amber strolled in, her pale blue eyes glaring at me but I could see some lust mixed in with the hatred as she gazed at my bare chest.

"Hey," I forced myself to greet.

She walked right up to me and grabbed my face in her hands, pulling my head down towards hers and before I could register what she was doing, she kissed me, flinging her tongue into my mouth, making me drop the basketball that I had been holding against my lower abdomen. I didn't feel anything except for the annoying pressure of her lips on mine. She pulled away, but tugged at my lower lip as she went. I almost couldn't control the disgust that flittered through me. "Hey," she repeated a tad bit huskily.

"What's wrong?" I asked, moving away from her to retrieve the ball that had rolled towards the stands.

"Oh it's nothing," she said causally. "Courtney just told me something interesting this morning. That's all."

The news caused me to pause but I recovered quickly. "And what was that?" I grabbed my ball and dribbled my way back to the three-point line, getting in the ready position to shoot again. Unfortunately, what she said kept me from following through.

"Just that you and that new girl, MacKayla Black, have gotten friendly. _Very _friendly." When she sneered Mac's name, I wanted to strangle her for saying it like it was some bad word but her words sunk in too fast for me to even give it as much thought as I had wanted to.

I froze and turned back towards her. "She said what?" I asked flatly.

Amber shrugged nonchalantly and ran her hands over my sweaty chest. I had to force myself not to push her away. "Just that you and that ugly Indian girl have gotten close. Was she right?"

"Native American," I corrected automatically. Her eyes widened before they began shooting daggers at me. Though her face wore a calm mask, her eyes were deadly with their strong abhorrence. "We're friends," I continued.

Amber's eyes narrowed dangerously on my face. "Friends," she repeated.

I nodded, swallowing hard.

"Well," she drawled. "I suppose that you should just drop her. She will only bring you down." Amber reached up and swiped a piece of my hair away from my sweaty forehead.

"What?" I gasped incredulously.

Amber smiled sweetly at me while she played with my hair. "She doesn't care about status. Obviously, since she wears old rags, and she definitely doesn't care about _your_ status. Not like I do. Can't you see how perfect we would be together? A power couple," she said with a dreamy look about her.

I ripped her hands from my hair and let them drop back down to her sides. "Amber, I don't give a crap about my status or yours or hers," I growled. No way was she actually telling me I couldn't ever talk to MacKayla never see her again. My heart clenched and unclenched in pain.

Hurt flashed in her eyes. "You aren't ever to see or speak to her again," she said quietly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Amber-"

She interrupted my with a finger pointed at my chest. "No! You better promise me that you won't even look at her!"

The door opened and the coach walked in. His eyes narrowed on her slight form. "Amber, this is a closed session," he informed her.

"Promise," she ordered.

"Wyatt?" the coach questioned, raising an inquiring brow at me, striding closer to where Amber and I were standing in the middle of the court.

I looked at the wall behind her that held all the dates of state championships the school had won ranging from 1965 to now. I couldn't let her see how much she broke me, how much what she was making me do hurt. "I promise," I whispered, my heart shattering into so many pieces, I could hardly breathe.

Her face broke out into a smile that almost made me cringe and she kissed me. "I'll see you in class." She blew me an air kiss before marching out the door.

I roared as loudly as possible, nearly screaming, and launched the ball that was in my hand across the court, not caring where it ended up and not caring that the coach was eyeing me wearily. My chest moved up and down with my heavy breathing, the pain in my heart unbearable

Coach Johnson sighed. "You know, I never knew you could make a basket from the opposite side of the court," he muttered, turning to rescue the ball.

"Huh?" I growled.

Sure enough, the ball was bouncing up and down beneath the net.

He grabbed the ball and made his way back to where I was standing. "Want to tell me what has you so out of control?"

I ran a hand through my hair, pulling at it. "I hate my girlfriend," I stated.

Coach laughed. "So do I. Never did like her when Greg went out with her last year." Greg was his son and a good friend of mine, but had the worst taste in women.

I laughed. "You have very high standards."

He smiled brazenly. "I do," he agreed. "But Amber isn't what is messing with your head so I'll take a wild guess and say that it's some other girl."

I sighed and ran a hand over my red basketball shorts. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, Amber is just that transparent."

"I don't know why I didn't just break up with her. I wanted to. Still do."

Coach stared to dribble the ball back and forth, alternating which hands bounced it back to the floor. "Look, breaking up is hard even when you absolutely feel nothing towards the other person. Sometimes, you'll do anything just to avoid it. And I think you know that it'll tear Amber up. You have enough humanity to care about her. Just try to get your bearings together and toughen up. I need you for a game tonight and you are way too distracted."

I laughed and tried to steal the ball away from him but he dodged me like the pro he still was. "Yeah, your right."

"Damn straight," he said and ran past me, slam-dunking the ball into the net. He landed on his feet with a loud thud. "Now go take a shower and get dressed before you're late to class."

_~Mac's POV~_

I was surprised when I didn't see Wyatt waiting for me but then I figured he was probably with Amber. I didn't get any sleep the night before. My thoughts wouldn't stop, my mind not giving me a moments rest. All I could do was picture him kissing me, and it made me restless, exhausted.

Wyatt was making me act like a hormonal teenager or a child. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think without him being there in my thoughts. The only thing I seemed to still be able to do was eat. As a werewolf, we eat a lot. In ways, we're like the Greek. Food means a lot to us. We are all about the food.

Because I knew that Wyatt would be with Amber, I didn't go looking for him as I made my way to French class. So I was more then surprised to see Amber passing me in the hallway without him, glaring at me as she did so. All I could feel was her anger and jealousy. It made me want to be sick and I all but ran to my classroom, trying to take in long and even breaths.

_You all right? _Aiden asked me.

_Yeah, hatred is just a disgusting emotion._

_That's why its one of the seven sins._

I smirked. Yeah, it was.

When lunch came around, I had no expectations. I knew that Wyatt would sit with Amber, but what I didn't expect was the fact that he never even looked at me. He didn't say hello, he didn't wave. I even missed how he would wind the strands of my hair behind my ear – not that I minded before.

So I glared at the table where he sat, laughing and smiling. I hated the way he made me feel when he so obviously didn't return the feelings, the way he seemed so happy while I sat there feeling sorry for myself. My heart was in pain and I loathed every minute of it.

"Mac, are you alright?"

I looked over at my grandmother and smiled. "I'm fine," I said, though I was lying through my teeth.

When I looked back at Wyatt, his blue eyes locked with mine, and the pain in his tore at me. I wanted to comfort him, tell him it would be okay, and I didn't even know why he felt the way he did. We shared a brief, knowing look, until Amber caught his gaze pointed at me, and she turned in her chair to look over her shoulder. She glared at me and I felt large amounts of jealousy and dislike. Malice. None of it was benevolent and it made me gag.

Amber smiled malevolently at me before turning back around and kissing Wyatt. I turned around, not wanting to feel anymore of what she caused me.

"He's ignoring me," I said to no one in particular.

"Who is, dear?" Bella asked.

"Wyatt. He looked at me once today and it lasted a few moments before his girlfriend made him look away."

My grandmother rubbed soothing circles on my back with a cold hand. "It'll be fine in the end. You deserve a happily ever after," she murmured.

"Why? What have I ever done to deserve it?"

"Well, you have helped save the human race one vampire at a time. In a way, it's like you're a hero."

I laughed. "A real hero."

She smiled and kissed my temple. "Don't worry so much, MacKayla. You'll go prematurely grey and then he'll never want you."

"Yeah," Ravyn said, picking at my hair. "I think I see a piece of grey hair right here."

I swatted his hand away. "I'm immortal; I don't have straggly, grey hairs."

I felt eyes on me, and with a smile, I turned to see Wyatt's pained eyes again. My smile slowly drifted from my face and turned into a frown. I spun back around and ignored him so I would actually be able to finish my lunch and not have my stomach turned form his bitch of a girlfriend.

How he could still have a stomach, being so near to her, astonished me.

Instead of Wyatt walking me to trig like he had done the previous day, I had Leah and Ravyn with me. The class went by too fast for my liking. Next period scared me and I never wanted to leave the safety of my math class. English would consist of my soul mate and his girlfriend, all close together and _touching_ while he _ignored_ me.

"Good luck," Ravyn mumbled after the bell had rung.

"Thanks," I whispered.

I walked to my sixth period in silence, all alone and feeling very bereft. I missed Wyatt, and a part of me was excited for sixth period, getting to see him and maybe talk to him, but the other half was fearful he would continue to shun us and break our hearts.

When I entered, he was already sitting down with Amber. He looked up once he heard my footsteps but immediately looked back down at the book he was reading. So that was how it was going to be. Fine then.

The entire period was very awkward and I learned that Amber was a very self-conscious person. She would touch Wyatt's hand or thigh beneath the table as if to reassure herself that they were still together. And Wyatt, I could tell by the way he would go ridged, that he didn't seem to be so open with his affections. However, when he was with me, he touched me constantly, as if he relished in the feel of my skin. The whole situation made me confused and I did not like being confused at all.

But what irked me the most was how the Mrs. Williams never caught them. I did catch her looking at them, but she held her tongue. Amber would steal kisses from Wyatt and never get into trouble, which I felt was entirely unjust. Whatever happened to karma? Did that somehow go out of fashion and I didn't get the newsletter?

When the bell rang, I would have liked to go earlier, but the teacher stopped me before I could.

"MacKayla?" Mrs. Williams called.

"Yes?" I watched in envy as the other students filled out of the classroom, not bothering to look at the two lovebirds holding hands.

"I was going over the test you took the other day, and I noticed that you received a hundred percent. And all of the other assignments, you got the same, as for the quiz today."

I shrugged. What was she getting at? "Is that a problem?"

Mrs. Williams shook her dark auburn head. "None at all. In fact, I was about to consider that you move up to English eleven, AP Language and Composition."

Leave my English class, where I was stuck with Wyatt and _Amber_. I wouldn't have to be stuck with the two of them any longer and I would have peace. _No more Wyatt and Amber touching every few seconds_. The prospect was nearly overwhelming.

"I'll… have to think about it," I whispered.

"All right, but don't think too long, the offer might not always be open."

I nodded my head and stiffly made my way out of the door and into the hallway. But I would still have to endure P.E. with him. The only good thing was that Amber wouldn't be in there with us. _The only good thing_.

When I was done changing, I saw Wyatt wearing a white wife beater with red basket ball shorts. He looked so delectable that I almost turned back around so no one would notice my suddenly flushed face. He was standing with some friends of his, a Jeremy Roderick and a Ryan MacMillon. Ryan was a slightly tall brunette with lightly colored grey eyes and a lean body while Jeremy was somewhat taller than Ryan, around six foot two, with pale green eyes and long blond hair and was more muscular and brawny. Where Ryan's skin was pale in color, Jeremy's was a deep tan as if he had just come back from a beach side vacation.

I tried to breathe in deeply, but being in short shorts and a skimpy, tight pink tank top that Alice insisted I wear didn't make me very comfortable. It didn't exactly cover me either and I didn't like to be exposed. In some ways, Wyatt was right when he said I hide from people. I'm just not a real people person. I'd rather be in the forest surrounded by my pack members then in a mall or heaven forbid, a high school.

I had to pass Wyatt and his friends to reach where my family was huddled together in a loose circle in the middle of the gymnasium, so I tugged my shorts a bit lower praying it would cover even a sliver more then it did before and sauntered right on past. I noticed Wyatt stiffen and I heard a swift intake of breath and I smiled, pleased with myself.

"My God, Mac, what the hell are you wearing?" my father snarled at me.

Alice laughed and pushed my hands away from my shirt as I tried to tug it lower. It inevitably snapped back up to where it was originally, resting slightly below my rounded lower stomach to expose a small expanse of russet colored skin. "She is wearing clothes, Jacob. She'll need them later."

"I thought you couldn't see my future?" I asked, tugging my shorts lower. She whacked my hands away again.

"I can see bits and pieces but it wasn't necessarily because of _you_ that I caught a glimpse but because of a human."

"And who would that be, Oh Great Seer?" I hated it when she was being vague.

"You'll find out," she said as she skipped away just as the coach ordered us to do ten laps.

When I moved to run around the large basketball court, the Coach stopped Wyatt and me and told us to go set up the field for flag football. We agreed only because he didn't give us a choice.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I asked bluntly, not caring of consequences as we headed for the doors at the side of the large room that lead to the football field that lay behind the school.

He opened the door for me and held it there, allowing me to pass him. "I'm not ignoring you."

I laughed. "Of course not. The no eye contact and unfriendliness towards me is just your way of saying 'your such a great friend!'" I threw my fist into the air, mimicking the gesture for 'go team!'

He grunted. "Look, you are my friend and I wasn't ignoring you!"

"Just admit it. You don't want me." I had meant to say 'you don't want me around' but I seemed to have forgotten the last part. My tongue swelled with the knowledge of what I had just let pass through my lips and I clamped them together tight.

His eyes widened. "I do want you. You couldn't possible know if I do or don't," he whispered, walking out of the door and stepping out onto the concrete steps.

I followed after him until I was out of the building and standing beside him on the steps. "I _know_ you don't want me."

Wyatt stopped walking so fast that I ran into him. He turned around abruptly and stalked me until he had me up against the side of the red and brown brick masonry, his arms on either side of me, trapping me against the wall with his body. "You think I don't want you?!" he demanded, his voice brutal and rough.

I gulped at the intense look in his eyes and could do nothing but nod my head. It wasn't that I was scared of him; it was just that I was afraid of his rejection. I was so mixed up, so confused and ready to be rejected by the one man I could ever love, that I couldn't tell his emotions from my own. So when his hand cupped my cheek, I cringed and he narrowed his beautifully sapphire eyes on my face.

"You think I don't _want _you," he repeated incredulously, his thumb that was caressing my cheek making it difficult to think about anything. Therefore, I nodded again and prayed that his rejection wouldn't hurt _too_ much.

So when he pushed me even harder against the wall, closing any gap between our bodies, I gasped. Before I could think past the sensation of his body against every line of mine, his lips caught mine and he kissed me. I had expected our first kiss to be gentle but this was not even close. He kissed me like he wanted to devour me. He kissed me, holding nothing back and I honestly didn't want him too. I gasped into his mouth and my hands flew to his shoulders, clutching at him as my eyes slowly drifted shut from the intimate pleasure his mouth was bringing me.

He growled and ran his tongue over my upper lip and I readily opened my mouth to his sweet assaults. I was on overload, my mind and body shutting off. I had no control over the situation and it made me nervous but I was too lost in sensation to care. I was tingling all over and my skin was extra sensitive. Before I knew what I was doing, I gripped his head hard and made the kiss even more passionate. The rumble deep within his chest sounded off again and he ran his hand down the side of my neck, down my side until he reached my bare leg and drifted lower to my calf. He pulled it up and hitched it over his hip. I gladly obliged and did the same with my other, wrapping my legs around his waist in a tight vise, locking my ankles together.

"I love you in this," he growled between kisses, running his hands over my shorts and top. "You are so beautiful."

He pulled away slightly so we could catch our breath but his lips never left my skin. They moved to the corner of my mouth, traveling down to my jaw and moving towards my ear. I gasped when he took my ear lobe into his mouth and bit down gently.

"Still think I don't want you?" he asked huskily into my ear, his hot breath hitting my overheated skin, causing shivers to run down the length of me.

I groaned in response and he laughed, roaming back to my jaw and down my neck. I moaned and felt my eyes roll back into my head as he sucked the skin there lightly and then tenderly bit the skin before licking it. I gripped his head to me and before I knew it, I had yanked his head back up towards mine and crashed my lips to his, molding us back together like two missing puzzle pieces.

I felt him smile against my mouth as our tongues dueled. I ran my hands through the dark brown hairs at the crown of his skull as our kiss deepened into a frenzy again. I felt his palm slide down my back and lift the hem of my tight shirt that suddenly felt too constricting. I held my breath as he lifted it slightly and ran his warm hands along my lower back, pulling me closer, if such a thing was possible.

I made a strange mewl like sound into his mouth and pulled away to kiss my way down his neck like he had done to me, trying to drag air into my oxygen deprived lungs. Our breathing was ragged and as my breath fell upon his neck, I watched the goose bumps rise along his skin. I grinned, placing little butterfly kisses to his lightly whiskered jaw and down to his neck. I laughed lightly when he growled and pulled my hair with his hand roughly but I didn't care because he had tilted my head back so he could kiss me again.

I felt the hand on my back move to my waist and he stroked the sensitive skin of my hipbone with his thumb, wringing pleasure to my hypersensitive skin. I shivered and he moved his hand up a little higher towards where my breasts were achy and swollen in a way they had never been before, causing my frantic heart to stop beating. So I lifted the hem of his own shirt and ran my fingers through his happy trail that trailed from his belly button to disappear beneath the thin fabric of his shorts. I felt his lower stomach muscles jump against my fingers in surprise and I smiled. The kiss turned so unbearably sweet and tender that I never wanted it to end.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine, staring deeply into my eyes, his own smoldering at me with such intense lust that it took my breath away again, astounding me with it's passion. I still couldn't believe that he had wanted me as much as I had wanted him. I could feel his want clenching at my lower stomach, igniting my own need. He rubbed his nose against mine in an Eskimo kiss that left me breathless and I closed my eyes with a lingering smile, beaming with satisfaction.

When his lips lightly grazed mine, just barely touching my mouth, we both heard a gasp but were a little too lost in each other's embrace to pull away immediately. Wyatt moved faster then me, turning his head to look at the interrupter. Since I had my legs clamped around his waist and arms tangled around his neck, I felt him go ridged and I opened my eyes to see Amber standing a few feet away from us with tears in her eyes and her mouth wide open.

I disentangled my legs from Wyatt's frozen waist and my arms from his neck and moved from between him and the wall.

"Amber-" he tried to say but she interrupted him.

"How dare you!" she snarled at him before looking to me. I felt more then saw her anguish and hatred as she stared at me for a long time before she turned on her heel and ran off.

Wyatt gave me a dismantled look so I nodded, encouraging him, and he took off after her.

I leaned back against the wall and touched my kiss-swollen lips.

My first kiss.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I tore after Amber, swearing beneath my breath at the ten kinds of stupid I was being. After not breaking my promise, my moral and ethical codes, I broke it trying to prove to MacKayla that she meant so much to me. And she did. It wasn't just that she was wearing skimpy clothes that showed so much soft, russet skin that it made me crazy, but her mind. She was smart and funny and her heart was kind and sweet. I had snuck peeks at her all day, ignoring her was just so hard that not giving in was too difficult for me to managed.

And when we had kissed, sparks were flying and it was as if we were meant to be together. As if we produced music and magic when our lips were welded together. In a way, I'm glad that Amber saw us. This way, ending the relationship would be so easy. But hurting her still made me frustrated at myself.

"Amber!" I yelled. She was running towards her car and I caught her waist, pulling her into my arms while she tried to punch herself away, her fists hitting my chest but her arms were so weak I didn't feel the impacts.

She finally stopped and she began to sob. I smoothed her hair down with my hand and held her until her body relaxed against me. "How could you?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. "I hadn't meant to, but I couldn't _not_ do it. I'm sorry."

She pulled away and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I whipped her wet cheeks with my hands. "Does this mean…?"

I nodded and watched as she broke down again. I hugged her to my chest and ran a hand over her ridged back, letting her get it all out. "I loved you!" she whispered feverishly.

"I did too. But we couldn't have lasted forever. You know that. I know that."

She pulled away and leaned against the door to her red Eclipse. "So were over," she stated.

"Yeah, yeah we are. But we were over before today, and I think you knew that," I said quietly.

She looked up and glared at me. "Go," she growled, pointing towards that area where she found Mac and me kissing. "Go back to your whore and leave me the hell alone!"

With that, she opened her car door and sped off. She was never one for the quiet break ups.

I sighed and watched as her taillights disappear in the distance. I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off of me and I couldn't help but smile, feeling giddy. I could finally have Mac all to myself. Thank God!

Remembering that I had left Mac to set up the field all on her own, I sprinted back to where she was standing. She was looking at the forest the lined the school's field, her face still flushed and her lips still slightly swollen from my kisses, her cheek red from rubbing against my whiskered jaw.

I walked up behind her stealthily and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder. She didn't even jump. Instead, she laid her hands upon mine and leaned back against me as if she needed to be in my arms as much as I need her to be there.

"So… how is Amber?" she asked.

I sighed. "Distraught. But she should've seen it coming. I couldn't stand her. One would think that she would've noticed that all the kisses were only one sided."

MacKayla gasped and turned around in my arms. "You broke up with her?!"

I nodded and smiled, tucking a strand of her perfect hair behind her ear.

She leaned up onto her tiptoes and kissed me. I pulled her against my body, the euphoria spreading, making me as light as a feather, flying in the wind with such buoyancy that nothing could have deterred me from what I was feeling.

By the time she pulled away, her face was re-flushed and her parted lips were good and swollen again. Her eyes bright, she laid a hand to my cheek and fingered a dimple. "Is it bad that I'm glad you and her are no longer an item?"

I laughed and kissed her forehead. "Of course not, silly," I said. "I feel the same way."

She smiled, her perfectly white teeth a contrast to the darkness of her skin. I pecked her lips in an affectionate way. I loved to see her eyes so flamboyant and happy. So carefree.

"So…" she murmured after awhile, "_now_ what are we?"

I beamed at her. "You, _mademoiselle_, are my girlfriend," I announced, nibbling my way down her neck and back up to her lips, making the circuit a second time before she answered.

"And what makes you think I want to be your girlfriend?" she muttered coyly, a teasing smile flirting with her perfectly full mouth.

"And who says I'm giving you a choice?" I asked against her skin, playing along.

She giggled slightly, winding her hands through my hair, holding my head to her. "Touché."

I hid my helpless expression against the column of her neck. She was everything I could ever want and everything I could ever need. And that was the scariest thing of all.

I moved back to her mouth.

"Wyatt! Wait!" She tried in vain to pull away so I slid my mouth back down her neck until I reached her collarbone where the skin was taut and I couldn't resist touching it.

"Wyatt!" she reprimanded. "The coach will be out here any moment!"

"So?" I challenged, not budging an inch.

"Wyatt-" I silenced her with my mouth, her efforts to push me away falling away as her hormones took over and she nearly attacked me. Not that I would mind it if she did.

"A-hem," a very annoyed voice said from behind where Mac's back was facing the building.

I peeked an eye open to see a murderous expression from one of her siblings, a Jacob Black.

"If you want to still have a certain appendage, and I know that you do, I seriously suggest you back away from my… sister," he threatened, his voice as deadly serious as his expression.

MacKayla gasped and turned around in my arms, facing her older brother. She whipped her now wet mouth off with the back of her hand and I couldn't help the satisfied male inside me from smirking with satisfaction.

"Aw, Jake, let them be," Alice said flippantly, obviously not having a single problem with the two of us being together. "Might as well let them say their goodbyes."

"Goodbyes?" I echoed.

Mac turned back around so that she was facing me. "You were ignoring me; you didn't exactly give me a chance to let you know." Her eyes were large and sad and it killed me.

"So that's it? You're leaving?" My heart was breaking all over again. I get her for all of five minutes and now I had to say goodbye. It wasn't fair but as the old saying goes, life is seldom fair.

To my complete shock, she laughed and playfully slapped my arm. "Don't be so melodramatic. It's November twenty-third. I'm leaving to go back to my hometown for Thanksgiving. Up in La Push."

Shock filled my body and I decided that punishing her for that little scare would be very pleasurable. So I pulled her body against mine and ravished my mouth to hers until Jacob stopped us yet again, giving her a chastising glance and scowl at me.

"God, Mac, don't ever scare me like that again."

She smiled mischievously. "I think I should scare you more often."

I rubbed her nose with mine. "Never."

"The Blacks and Cullen," the Coach called as he strolled down the concrete steps and walked towards the field where the class was standing, "you mother is here to pick you guys up."

She was leaving that very second?! Figures. I kissed her again, but this time tenderly, taking my time searching every nook and cranny of her mouth in the small, allotted time the Coach gave us before pulling us apart.

"Nice try, Wyatt. A lap around the field," he barked. I might be his star pupil, but he treated me as if I were just another student. "Go!"

"I'll see you in a week," Mac called as she began to walk away, back towards the building.

Before I could help myself, I hugged her briefly before letting her go. "Have fun, Mac, _mon amour_," I whispered in her ear.

I watched as she walked up to the building behind her siblings, her hips sashaying in a way that should be illegal.

"All right Romeo," Coach drawled. "I'm happy for you. Really, truly am. But gitcha ass back in the game and two laps should clear your head. And you libido. Shoo!" He blew his whistle and I laughed, making him shake his head and point down the side of the field.

"I'm going, I'm going. Geez." I took off running, feeling so lightweight that it was as if I were floating, my feet not feeling the impacts as they hit the grass. But the thought of not seeing Mac for a week almost killed my buzz. So I replayed the scene of our first kiss repeatedly in my mind until nothing could bring me back down from cloud nine.

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**Please review!**


	5. Thanksgiving

**Okay, I really have absolutly no excuse for taking so long, and I'm sorry. I've just had a lot of things to deal with and no time to find my missing msue. This chapter was so hard to write. Ugh, anyway! **

**Over the.. weekend? Yeah, I guess that was when, but I had my muse hit me, and I wrote a chapter far into the future, like chapter 32 or sometihng crazy like that and the weirdest thing happened! My fingers were making things happen and before I knew it, people were doing thinkgs they _really _weren't supposed to be doing. I hadn't fully had Wyatt's background in my head, so when it hapened in the chapter, it all hit me. In this chapter, you are goning to see a side of Wyatt you've never seen before. And you might not like it. **

**I just wanted to thanks to all my reviewers! I got a lot and I love it! 36! =] I love you guys so much!**

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Chapter 5- Thanksgiving

_~Mac's POV~_

I really hate family rode trips. We are all so big – excluding mom – that we barely fit into mom's black SRX Cadillac Crossover. Sure, it drove like a dream, floating over potholes and the surround system! Not to mention the purr of the engine and… okay, anyway, we still didn't have much shoulder room. I would've liked to have taken my car but it had been acting up lately, over heating, and either running too lean or too rich, and it would constantly hiccup. I was going insane trying to figure it out. I couldn't get it synchronized in time, and the two hour road trip would've been too harsh on my poor baby. Seth, Ravyn, and I were in the second row while the lovebirds were in the third row making kissy faces and goo gooey eyes at each other. It was seriously revolting. Mom and dad were in the front seat while he drove with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand holding hers on top of the center console.

I couldn't help but stare at their intertwined hands and clench mine, trying to dissolve the fact that I was empty without Wyatt. I missed him in an unhealthy manner and it scared me to not be able to control my own emotions. The pull between us was strong and right now, it was telling me that I needed him with me. That I needed to turn back around to be with him. I wasn't a very clingy person, so the feeling was new and frightening with its intensity.

"Aiden," my father sighed, dragging me out of my thoughts, staring at Aiden and Leah making out in the rearview mirror, "you know the rules. No sex in your mother's car."

Leah's face instantly reddened the way it always did when she was around Aiden. Aiden groaned, dramatically throwing himself back on his side of the seat. "Come on, Dad. I would never."

I snickered behind my hand and he slapped the back of my head. "Shut up, MacKayla."

"That was uncalled for," I growled, unbuckling my seatbelt so I could punch his face in with my fist.

My dad whistled in a way that caused everyone to cup their hypersensitive ears. "We are almost there so shut up, sit back, and no touching! No fighting, nothing! Or else I'm banning you all from cliff diving."

My mother smiled at him and then went back to gazing out the window.

No one said a word after that until we reached La Push, pulling up in front of the large pale lilac house, trimmed with white. Some grandfather died a few years back, leaving my father and aunts, Rachel and Rebecca, about forty million dollars. My dad gave all the money to Rachel and Rebecca since my mother's side of the family was wealthy enough as it was, and they split ten, and gave the rest of the money to charities and the community, schools and whatnot.

Rachel and Paul lived with Colin and Becca, along with Stormy, their daughter, and Hayden and Devin, Paul and Rachel's children. The mansion was two stories tall and had nine bedrooms and twelve bathrooms, a kitchen, two living rooms, an indoor pool, a game room, a billiard room, and that was where I forgot the rest.

"Mac!" a voice yelled from the front porch, and a tall girl came running out of the house.

I smiled at the sixteen year old who threw herself into my arms. "Hey, Stormy. Miss me much?"

She laughed. "Of course I did." She grinned, making her cute dimples stand out in her heart-shaped face. Her brown eyes were shiny and filled with love and happiness, her long, black wavy hair blowing in the wind.

"Have you gotten control of your phasing yet?" I asked. She had phased for the first time over the summer and it scared her even though she knew it was coming.

She nodded. "And now I don't phase at all."

I frowned at her. "What?"

She shrugged. "I really like having long hair. I would rather not cut it. You don't."

"Strom, I don't have to cut mine. It can be as long as I want and my wolf form won't be affected by it at all."

"Oh. Aiden! Ravyn!" She ran at my brothers and embraced them while I shook my head at her. She really needed a reality check.

"Look who it is," a deep voice muttered behind me.

"My, my, why it is the she-wolf," another said.

I turned around to two greatly large chests blocking my view. "Funny, you two," I answered them.

Devin and Hayden smiled down at me before giving me a high five and stepping back a little to provide me some room. Devin sighed. "Mac, you smell horrible." He wrinkled his nose for emphasis.

I laughed. "So do you. When was the last time you showered?"

Devin grinned mischievously. "A few weeks ago."

Hayden pinched his nose between his thumb and index finger. "Dude, really, do us all a favor and finally bathe. Mom has been begging you to."

"Speaking of moms, where's Rachel and Becky?" I looked around them at the house but nobody was standing in the doorway.

"They're at Sam's house. We were supposed to stay here to help you guys unpack and then I guess we are to take you to Sam and Em's place," Hayden answered me.

"Wow, you guys have grown," my dad drawled, walking up to the porch with some of the suitcases.

Devin shrugged his massive shoulders. "We do that."

I looked at them, and my dad was right. Devin was my age, eighteen, and he was more muscled then most wolves. He was nearly Emmett-sized. His brown eyes were the kind of dark where you can't pick out the pupils from the irises and his hair was as long as possible, hanging down just above his ears. Hayden was leaner but still corroded with hard sinew. His eyes were lighter, but still a dark brown. He was shorter then his brother by an inch or two, older as well. I supposed he was about twenty-one by now. Besides their physical appearance, their personalities were what differed them the most. Hayden was a calm, easygoing guy who was quiet and kind. Thoughtful. Whereas Devin was the mischievous and out-going one. He liked to party, have fun, and get into trouble, preferably at the same time.

"I'm going to show you your rooms," Stormy announced, flittering to my side with Leah in tow.

Stormy led all of us up the grand staircase and into a bright lavender room. "This will be yours, Uncle Jake," she said, helping with the suitcases Alice had insisted my mother bring.

"Thank you, Stormy," my mother said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No problem."

Stormy escorted us down the hallway and opened a door to a pale teal painted room with white fixtures. Two beds where pushed up against the wall and I realized that I was going to have to share a room with someone and I prayed it wasn't one of my brothers.

"This is Leah and Mac's room," she proclaimed, grabbing one of my suitcases and setting it on one of the beds.

She closed the door, leaving Leah and I alone. I fell back against one of the beds, landing on the feather comforter with a loud whoosh. "Thank God I'm sharing my room with you," I muttered.

Leah raised a questioning brow at me.

"Not like that, it's just that I really didn't want to spend some 'quality' time with my brothers," I said quickly.

She shrugged, lying down next to me to stare at the ceiling. "I knew what you meant. I'm just as was glad to learn that I wasn't staying with Seth. I love him but he still acts like a kid even though he is forty years old."

I couldn't help but gape at her words. "I knew that he was old but I didn't know he was _that _old," I muttered.

She shrugged. "I'm even older then he is. Forty-four. But if you really want to be grossed out, think about how old Carlisle is. Or the fact that I'm engaged to your brother and am older than your father."

I shuddered. "Yeah, but Carlisle's a vampire. I think about that differently. And _eww_. I _definitely_ didn't need to know that last part."

She laughed and I stared at the white ceiling for a while until the door was thrown open and Stormy had launched herself on the bed, making it shake. She landed on her stomach, rested her chin on her fists beside me, and looked at me with a glint in her eye.

"Wanna go to Sam and Emily's place now?" she asked.

I sighed, closing my eyes and mumbling, "'M kinda comfor'able here."

"Me too," Leah agreed, snuggling down onto the duvet.

"Oh come on, Lee," Aiden murmured as he strode into my room with Ravyn, Hayden, and Devin behind him. He stood beside Leah and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, massaging her muscles. She grinned and sat up to wrap her amrs around his lean waist.

"We didn't invite you guys," Stormy groaned. "Get out."

"Is that the proper way to speak to your cousins?" Devin teased.

"It is when I have spent way too much time with you guys."

"Yeah," I said, throwing a pillow at Devin. "Out. I'm tired."

Devin caught it a flung it back at me. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Mackie. We have to go; you don't really have a choice."

"Okay, Mac, Stormy, Leah, get up," my father ordered as he barged into my room along side my mother. "Devin is right and I have some old friends I want to see again. Up."

I groaned and sat up. "I'm not in a real people person mood," I grumbled.

Leah and my mother gave me a knowing look before my mother spoke up. "How about Leah, Mac, and I meet you guys there in a few minutes," she suggested.

"Nessie-"

She interrupted him with a quick kiss. "Go on. We'll see you there."

He frowned but nodded and kissed her forehead. "All right. Come one guys."

Once the door was shut, my mother came over and sat down next me, leaning back against the headboard. She pulled me into her arms and stroked my hair while Leah moved so that she sitting in front of us with her legs crossed.

"I know you miss him," my mother murmured. "But it gets better."

"How?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"Well," she started, dragging the L's out. "The more time you spend with him, the easier it will be to be apart. Right now, you feel like you haven't had enough time together, but this isn't goodbye. It's just goodbye for the holidays."

"It's so hard," I moaned.

"I know, Mac, but you just need to focus on something else. Hence why I think it's a_ great_ idea to go to Sam and Emily's house. I heard Alex imprinted," she coaxed gently.

"Jared and Kim's Alex?" I asked apprehensively.

Leah muffled a chuckle. "The one and only."

I groaned. "Definitely not going," I said, disengaging my arms from around my mother and flopping over to pull a pillow over my head.

"Oh come on! I thought you guys got along."

Leah laughed. "They hate each other. He used to throw sand at her at the beach and when she would get pissed he'd throw her into the water and laugh as she coughed up salt water for two hours."

"No!" my mother gasped.

I groaned. "Go away and leave me to die in humiliation by myself," I mumbled.

Leah lifted the pillow from my face and tossed it onto her bed. "Stop moping about. You haven't seen him since you were, what? Ten? I'm sure he's changed by now."

"Yeah. Sure. Changed," I grumbled.

"Honey, if he ever hurts you –"

"Mother, I'm eighteen. I can take care of myself. He just caught me off guard the last time. It was bad enough that Aiden and Ravyn were about to rip his head off. Like I couldn't defend myself!" I huffed, blowing a stray piece of hair from my forehead.

My mother sighed. "Come on. Wyatt would want you to enjoy your time here on vacation."

"Is Charlie and Sue gonna be there?" I asked, perking up a bit. I hadn't seen my grandfather in over a year.

"No, they're down in California soaking up some sun. But I heard they might come down to Hoquiam for Christmas," Leah answered.

"I'll see if I can't force them into it," my mother reassured me.

"You know who else will be there?" Leah asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"Do I even want to know?" I grumbled but lifted my torso up into a sitting position.

"Grace," she whispered, like it was some secret that only I could know.

Then I did. I, unfortunately, felt a smile curve my lips. "Grace," I repeated.

Leah nodded. "The one and very only."

I laughed exuberantly and launched myself from the bed, leaving both of them smiling up at me from the mattress. "Well?" I exclaimed, agitated. "Aren't you guys coming?"

My mother laughed and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly in hers. "Of course, sweetie."

We walked to Sam and Emily's hand in hand – except for Leah – our arm's swinging between us and I couldn't help but pretend that it was Wyatt's hand in mine. Leah saw me pouting and nudged my shoulder with her own.

"Quit being so sulky. It's pathetic."

I scrunched my face up and shoved her with my free hand. "And like seeing you fawn and blush over Aiden isn't?" I snorted.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It is, but I couldn't care less. I love him, and I'll probably blush around him even after a hundred years. Even if I have him for eternity, I'll still act like a hormonal teenager."

My mother laughed. "God knows I still do."

I wrinkled my nose again, trying to fight the very unwanted images from my mind. "Eww, oh, jeez. Thanks Mom, we really needed to know that. You and Dad are not allowed to do the dirty and tell me about it. That is just plain sick. Blech!"

She laughed, completely unrepentant and I hurried my pace.

Soon the large blue house came into view. It was weird to think that it used to be small, so small that most of the wolves and imprints had hardly fit comfortably in the cramped space provided. When Nick was born, their oldest, they had expanded the house, since they had planned on having more. And boy did they ever. Unfortunately, with the Cullens being here, it made wolves practically appear out of thin air. So, we have a large family, even with just my own pack, which technically consisted of Quinn, Embry and Savannah's kid, Hayden, Devin and me and my brothers, but since everyone lived in La Push except for us, it made it more like a long distance phone call. With your mind.

But Sam and Emily had four kids, two of them good friends of mine. There was Nick, who was standing in the kitchen laughing at something my brother said. His younger brother Chris was standing with them as well teasing Aiden and with my hearing and of sharing his mind, it was of having to put up with a surly Leah. Which severely pissed me off but I went over to them and said my hello's anyway. Their sister's Carlee and Kelsey were on the porch that overlooked the calm and peaceful beach. Lilly and Emma, Jared's daughters were in the dinning room trying to see if they could steal a finger swipe of frosting off a chocolate cake without anyone noticing. Emma was the youngest, at sixteen, which meant she was especially close to Stormy, who was also standing there with them, with Lilly being twenty.

Seth was outside with my father, and the older wolves, talking by the barbeque. Any outsider would think it was summer, the way we went about things, but we very really got cold. With our high temperatures, the only thing that makes us cold would be a vampire, though for me, it wasn't as bad since I was half of one.

My aunts were in the kitchen, standing with a girl I had never seen before. She had soft rosy skin and wild red hair, curly and standing in all directions. She was so pale, standing with a bunch of rusty-skinned Native Americans, that she stood out. But her hair was what drew my attention to her. It was shinny and soft looking, yet it was in all directions as if controlling it would be an impossibility. When she looked at me, I clenched my fists. Her eyes were a brilliant pool of neon blue, startling in her doe like face. I couldn't help but envy her beauty, the fact that she was everything I wanted to be scared me.

I was fine with how I looked, but seeing her Hollywood quality made me feel insignificant, small, and an ugly hag. And of course, the first thought to fly through my suddenly insecure head was, _would Wyatt think she was more beautiful then me… _I clenched my jaw, loosening my fists that lay at my sides. Her smile had slipped from her face and she looked… _scared_. I was never a remorseful person, but I felt bad. I was confused and pissed and suddenly very self-conscious over my body. I hadn't taken my eyes off hers so I felt the color drain from my face when I realized that she was at least a full cup size bigger then me.

I turned around and shut my eyes. If Wyatt left Amber for me, a girl whose legs went on for miles even with her short stature and the fact that she could easily be a Rosalie, he left her for me. I replayed that in my head, a mantra, a prayer for sanity. It was in that moment I really wanted to be a guy. Guy's really didn't care about this sort of thing – I should know since I share my mind with five – and right now, I sure as hell didn't want to care.

A hand gripped the back of my hair and tipped my head back. It was almost painful and I whimpered, trying to get out of the grip. I figured it would be one of my brothers so when I looked up at Alex's dark brown eyes shooting daggers at me, I felt my face pale.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded.

I shut my eyes. I could flip him and have him pinned to the ground before he could even see it coming. "Alex, so help me God, let go of me or you'll regret it," I said in a low, hushed voice. No one was going to help me again. I was eighteen for fuck's sake.

"No. You have a thing against me, I get that, but you had no right to make her cry. I don't know what you did, but you better not do it again."

That was when I kind of… freaked. I had enough and so I gripped his wrist in a tight vise with my hands and flipped him onto his back. Before he could blink, I was on his stomach, pinning him to the nicely polished hardwood floor. "Don't start shit with me. You really don't want to do that. We are both hot heads and I could use a fight right about now. Who did I make cry?" I bit out, though I knew damn well who it was.

"Melissa!" he spat, struggling to get up.

I froze and he took that as the perfect opportunity to switch the position on me. It was hard to breathe under his crushing weight. By now, the house had shaken like an earthquake had hit the city and people were starting to come over and crowd around us. Some were even cheering us on. And I noticed the red head running towards us, her eyes red and puffy.

"Alex!" she yelled, trying to clutch at his shoulders but she would've made more head way with trying to lift an elephant. "You'll hurt her!"

Aiden yanked Alex up by the collar and shoved his face into Alex's, their noses touching. "You are really starting to piss me the hell off. Didn't you learn last time?"

I didn't even move from where I lay splayed out on the floor. I really hated myself then. I was man enough to make a girl cry just by looking at her. Well, okay I stared, but whatever. Did I glare at her? I looked up at her face, and I learned that she was the kind of person who would rather spend Thanksgiving at a homeless shelter then gorge herself on food the needy could use more then us. Just from her eyes, I knew that she cared for everyone, the good and the bad. And right then I was the bad.

I shut my eyes as a tear rolled down my cheek. The silence in the room was deafening. I had never let anyone see me cry. Only Ravyn had ever seen me cry and it was when I was seriously hurt. So of course, he jumped to conclusions.

_I'm going to kill him!_

_No, it was my fault_, God, I even sounded bad in my head.

I opened my eyes and stood up. I was about to do something I had never done before, so I kind of blocked my mind to my brothers so they couldn't guess what I was planning. I walked up to Melissa and gave her a hug, squeezing her tightly. I closed my eyes just as tight for a brief moment and then let go, dropping my arms so my sides.

"I'm so sorry," I croaked. "I just have, I have all this shit in my head, and I can't get it sorted. I swear I meant nothing bad by it."

She looked shocked. Well, so did everyone else, including the adults who were now strolling in with meat that steamed and their laughter died when their eyes landed on us.

I couldn't help but feel the blush creep up; entirely embarrassed by my little show of submission, a thing I didn't do regularly. I backed away until I reached the door and I flung myself out of it. There was a porch swing sitting beside the door and I plopped myself in it, feeling oddly… alone.

I wasn't surprised when I felt the seat beside me dip. However, I _was_ surprised by the brilliant blur of wildly red hair that obscured my vision.

"I have a feeling that was hard for you to do," she murmured after a few moments of silence.

I nodded. "Considering Alex and I have never gotten along."

She gave me soft look. "Alex can be very…" she trailed off, obviously searching for the right word.

"Rude? Obnoxious? Dominant? Caveman-ish, spewing girls belong at home garbage?" I supplied, smiling through my haze of emotions.

She laughed. "Yeah, I suppose those would work."

I grinned. "Look, I really am sorry. But… honestly? I was jealous of… you."

Her jaw fell slack and I cringed into the seat. "What? Why? If anything, I should be jealous of you!"

I shook my head. "No, really, I couldn't help it. I was comparing myself to you. I'm… having separation issues with me and my… boyfriend. So I'm more cranky then usual, but that's definitely no excuse. What I'm trying to say, is you're beautiful, and if you felt something hostile from me, it's probably because I was trying not to think of his ex who could be a friggin Victoria's Secret Model." I took a deep breath. "It was entirely out of character and harsh of me to put you in that situation. I am really, truly, sorry."

She. Was. Laughing… at me. "You really don't see yourself clearly. But the funny thing is, when I saw you, I did the same thing. I mean, you are beyond breathtaking. Your eyes are so surreal. No human could possibly have that color for their eyes."

"Oh, and your neon blue is just a regular occurrence?" I countered, feeling an odd kinship building.

She sighed. "How about we tie?" she suggested. "We're both just gonna lose. So," she said flippantly, holding out a small delicate hand towards me. "How about we call it a truce and start over."

I smiled and shook her hand. "MacKayla Black," I announced.

I watched her eyes widen and her mouth formed a perfect 'o'. "I'm Melissa O'Shea," she muttered.

"What? Oh God! You don't know any embarrassing stories about me, right? You have that look on your face. Because, I have definitely had my fair share of those today," I said quickly.

But she just laughed and waved my words away with a flick of a wrist. "No, no, nothing like that. However, I do know who you are. Lilly and Emma were talking about it earlier, saying how they couldn't wait for you to show up. Are you really half vampire _and _werewolf?" she asked, wonder filling her voice.

I beamed. "Yeah," I replied, trying not to brag or anything. "So I guess you know everything, huh?"

"Yes. I'm Alex's soul mate and that boyfriend of your is obviously your imprint."

"Yeah, he is. How did you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Separation issues, an easy temper, readily being insecure, tell tale signs of imprintation."

I laughed, "Iprintation?"

She nodded, giggling slightly. "I went through it myself when Alex told me he was this huge wolf and I broke up with him."

I froze. "Wyatt doesn't know anything," I whispered, feeling scared all of a sudden. I couldn't wait till I was home and back to normal. This girly stuff was annoying.

"You'll know when the time is right," she said, gazing up at the forest that was in front of the Uley house.

"Did Alex?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded. "Yeah. It took me a day or two but I realized that he wasn't the kind to play a practical joke on me. He can be very serious, so I just knew that he had to be telling me the truth. But that doesn't mean I still wasn't scared."

I absorbed this knowledge, trying to hold it deep within my brain, praying that my cerebral cortex wouldn't forget what my new friend enclosed to me.

***

I learned that Melissa was a really cool person to hang out with. She was fun and full of energy. I was right about the soft and mushy part of her. She was a caring person who rarely ever put other's behind her own needs. And the love that she and Alex shared was something I wished that I had. But I knew that it would happen eventually. Wyatt and I hadn't even lasted a week before we caved and finally stopped putting what was between us off.

So I leaned back on the sandy beach after a rough match of soccer under the clear, starry sky. Ravyn laid himself down beside me and put an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into the shelter of his body. I smiled and leaned back on his shoulder to look up at the sky.

Grace, Claire and Quil's little girl, was out cold in my arms and I watched I her sleep for a little while. She was the ripe age of five and her black hair was just like her mother's, a black that held dark brown highlights in the sunlight. Her eyes were a soft brown, a shade that was beguiling and beautiful. Her eyes were like my mother's. They were comforting and just one look from her was your undoing. Her younger brother Aaron was sprawled out on my chest, his arm protectively wrapped around his sister and I smiled.

Except when I felt a twinge of sharp pain split my chest in two. Staring at the two sleeping children made me think of Wyatt and the fact that I could never give him a child. I could never hold a little tiny being in my arms and see those clear, dark sapphire eyes reflecting from a tiny, innocent face. I had never thought of children, but seeing Grace and Aaron made me wish I could give him that. Give him a family.

I looked back up at the sky, somehow tearing my eyes from the peaceful, serene faces in my arms and dropped my thoughts like a hot plate in my hand. I wasn't going to ruin this moment. This moment of tranquility. Because, jeez, everyone knew that I had deserved it.

Ravyn's chin rested on top of my head and I snuggled myself closer to him. "I'm proud of you," he whispered, so not to wake the kids.

We were situated beside the fire, everyone huddled together with family or their other halves', listening to the water crash into the shore below us, and watching the sky where thousands of stars were making the black canvas of the night a stark contrast to the brightness of the universes equivalent to our sun, millions of trillions of miles away.

"Really?" I whispered back.

I felt his body shake with a silent chuckle. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"I guess not. But I don't always do things that deserve others to be proud of me."

He pressed his lips to my temple. "You do it all the time"

I held back the snort, not wanting to jostle the children awake. "Whatever you say, Birdie."

He smiled. "I love you, Mackie."

I grinned at him and kissed his cheek before his chin went back to sitting on top of my head. "I love you, too, Ravyn," I murmured, looking back up at the sky, and idly wondering if Wyatt was looking at the same moon, and thinking of me.

***

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I slipped out of my window and onto the roof overlooking the front yard. I threw a thick wool blanket down onto the roof beside the upper story where there was a large expanse of room. I made sure I was quiet when I sat myself down onto the itchy bedspread and popped the can of beer open.

After taking a rather large swig, I leaned back; balancing the Budweiser can on my stomach. The stars were bright, much brighter, and more apparent then one could ever imagine was possible. I loved to look up at the stars at night, when every light near our house was off. The way they glowed in the black backdrop always brought a calming affect to me. Which helped on nights and days such as this.

I hated holidays. They were a sorry excuse for family time and I hardly needed damn family time. Holidays were just a waste of time. The Hallmark version of holidays was all a lie. There was no turkey in the oven, no overly annoying and obnoxious cousins down stairs fighting over the football game. No, there was nothing for me downstairs, nothing I wanted or needed.

I nursed my beer until it was empty. I tossed it next to me and reached for the other one I had brought. I eagerly opened it and sipped it leisurely, a nice buzz starting since I had an empty stomach and I was drinking the shit like it was water. Staring up at the starry sky made me think of Mac. My mind began playing tricks on me and I was seeing the stars connect the dots, forming random pictures in the glowing sky. No, not random, I reasoned. They were pictures of MacKayla.

I closed my eyes as I heard her sweet, melodic laughter fill my ears; fill the silence that was stretching over me. I saw the color of her eyes, the color that seemed so surreal, so luminous in her dark face. I felt the silkiness of her thick, dark curls as my hands ran through them, gripping her head to mine. I could taste her mouth on my tongue as if I was back at school and we were still kissing, my body pressing her against the building. I felt the way her body molded itself to me, the plainness of her skin beneath my traveling fingers. I could smell her earthy scent. It wasn't all feminine on its own, a light magnolia scent clinging to her, adding an alluring quality to the forest like smell that it made me wild with desire.

My senses were running on the memory of Mac, like a rerun on television, and I sure as hell wasn't going to complain. She was truly the only thing that could make me happy. Make my smiles genuine, my laughs more natural. For so long I had been lost, not knowing where to go, where to hide. I had no one to confide in, no one who wouldn't judge me besides my sister, Hailey. But then, there she was, Mac's bright smile lighting up a room filled with bleakness, blanketed in darkness. Just to see her from afar would turn my heart into mulch; make me feel things I had never once thought I could feel, since almost always my body was numb from feeling.

Even now, when I was so caught up in my own shit, my own problems, just the mere thought of her, the mere memories of her caused my heart to race, my mind lose all the built up anger and hatred I had stored there, not even having to use the alcohol as a way to vent. I knew I was lost to her now. I knew that I was falling, and I was falling so fast I realized I was going to hit the pavement, but I didn't care. For once, I wanted to be selfish. To do something for myself. To take for myself.

I couldn't help but gaze up at the bright, full moon and wonder if Mac was looking at it herself, while thinking of me.

A window was thrown open and I tensed. I couldn't help it, it was a natural repercussion from my life. My breath came out in a whoosh as I heard it close and latch, heard foot steps move closer to my ridged form lying helpless on the roof, bare and vulnerable like I was a kid again.

A dark haired girl clouded my vision and I visibly relaxed, allowing myself to take another swig of the beer in my hands. The young girl plopped herself down silently beside me and I took het right into my arms, resting her head on my chest. I tossed my head back and swallowed the last of the second can while she spoke.

"I'm so scared," she whispered, her soft and kind voice wavering, breaking my heart.

I tightened my arms around her reflexively, holding her as tightly as possible to me, never wanting to let her out of my sight.

I felt her tears hit my t-shirt as she mumbled, "I hate it when you drink."

I chucked both the cans so that they flew down to the front yard, the air whistling around them. I was going to be in trouble when _she_ found them in the morning, but I couldn't give two shits about her or what she would do to me. Never again. "I know," I responded, looking back at the sky.

She pressed her self so close to me that it hurt, but I knew that my sister needed me and who was I to tell her to beat it? I needed this just as much as she did. "Don't leave me," she pleaded, her voice breaking on the last word.

"I'm never going anywhere," I vowed, but I had a sinking feeling that it would be the one promise I would break. "I'm never letting her hurt you."

Yeah, I fucking _hated_ holidays.

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**So what do you think? Please review =]**


	6. New Enemies

**Someone asked me how to pronounce Wyatt's name but because it was anonymous, I couldn't respond. It's Why-it.**

**I want to thank my hubby is no edward for editing this masterpeice! And I also want to thank my wonderful reviewers! You guys are awesome =]**

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Chapter 6 - New Enemies

_~Wyatt's POV~_

My body was thrumming with excitement over the fact that it was Monday. The Thanksgiving break was over and December had rolled right on through, leaving a thin layer of sleet to form on the roads and cars. I was standing in the parking lot of the high school waiting patiently for a certain someone to drive into a parking spot. I would've called her but they weren't listed in the phone book and everyone that I had contacted had no clue as to what her phone number was. I would've shown up at her house as well, except I wasn't sure when she was coming home and even where she resided. Wasn't I just the greatest boyfriend ever?

I leaned back against the tailgate to my old, beat up Chevy truck. I was more than eager to wrap my arms around MacKayla after such an absence between us. All I wanted to do was escape this dreadful hellhole they called a school and be alone with her, just the two of us, somewhere else, _any_where else. I needed to hold her hand just to reassure myself that we were together and not apart.

I closed my eyes as a bright red Eclipse swung into the parking space beside mine and Amber got out dressed in a parka, tall pink Uggs, and a skirt. Only Amber would wear such scanty clothing in under twenty-degree weather. She slammed her car door and waltzed right up to me, giving me a smile that hinted on the seductive side.

"Wyatt," she purred. "Have you given up on that little slut yet?" she asked in a fairly calm and serene voice and face. She ran her hands up and down my chest, raking her nails over my thick, black Carhart jacket.

I gripped her wrists and tore them away from me, throwing them back down to her sides where they swung back and forth for a few seconds. "Don't you dare call her that," I growled. "Her name is MacKayla and no, I have not grown tired of her, nor will I ever. Leave me alone."

Amber's face scrunched into a sneer and she backed away from me and made an irritated noise. "You're making a mistake."

I laughed humorlessly. "If so, then it's the greatest mistake of my life."

She growled low in her throat and stomped off, her large blue Gucci purse swinging on her shoulder.

I noticed then, that beside me was a parked teal Mustang with a tall, perfectly curvy woman leaning against the driver's side door. She smirked, her face stunning in its beauty, her eyes lit up with happiness. "So," she murmured sultrily, "I'm your greatest mistake, huh?"

I couldn't help the shit eating grin from appearing on my face, curving my lips up, flashing my teeth and dimples at her as I stood straight up and grabbed her waist almost forcefully so she was flush with my body, my up curved lips now attacking hers in a passionate kiss that left the both of us breathless. I pulled away very reluctantly to allow my lips to travel the expanse of her warm, exposed neck while responding against her skin, "Yes, you are the very best kind of mistake."

Her sweet, melodic laugh reverberated through me and I grinned against the column of her neck, the skin warm where my lips touched her. "How are you so warm in such cold weather?" I inquired softly.

She tensed in my arms briefly before she relaxed, her fingers wrapping themselves tightly in my hair. "A high temperature runs in the family," she answered quietly.

"Mmm," I mumbled as I kissed my way up her jaw line, lingering on her cheekbone, nibbling on the corner of her mouth before taking possession of her bottom lip between mine and tugging on it.

She pulled away slightly and I rubbed my nose to hers gently before opening my eyes to see her bright green ones staring at me intently. The school bell rang and I frowned. She laughed and smoothed my frown with her fingers. "Come on," she suggested, pulling at my hand.

I laced our fingers together and began to make our way to the doors, our intertwined hands swaying between us. "So how was your Thanksgiving?" I asked causally.

"It was okay. I'm glad to be back, my family is just way too large," she said, the laughter in her voice bringing a smile to my lips.

I lifted her knuckles to my mouth when we stopped at her locker to get her things, and I nibbled the skin of her hand. Her brother passed us in the hallway and grinned at us, causing a blush to creep up her neck and land on her face, making her tan skin glow red beneath the smooth expanse of flesh. My very favorite thing to admire. I cupped her cheek with my palm and she leaned into my touch, nuzzling her way into my hand much like a dog might nuzzle your hand with their snout when they want attention.

She looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back before leaning in and rubbing my nose against hers. "You adorable when you blush," I whispered, my breath fanning out over her face.

She rolled her eyes and pulled away to close her locker. "Me, adorable? Ha!" She chuckled and laced her fingers with mine before we began strolling leisurely to her French class.

"No, really," I insisted. "You are the most adorable person I ever had the fortune of meeting."

She glanced at me skeptically. "I've never been adorable, Wyatt."

"You are to me. So very adorable." I kissed her temple as we walked and she giggled when I almost ran into a student who was carrying one too many books in his arms. "You also have an adorable laugh," I observed.

Her laughter ceased immediately and I stopped walking, yanking on her hand to pull her back to my side instead of continuing. "Why do you always think I'm wrong? Why do you always get uncomfortable or contradict me when I compliment you?" I asked, trailing a hand through her silken hair, tucking a strand behind her ear.

Mac looked down at her shoes for a second, allowing my hand to do its bidding, before looking up at me, her eyes showing a vulnerable side of her I had yet to see before. "It's not that I think your wrong," she disagreed. "I just think… there are better people out there for you. I'm not adorable, I'm obnoxious. I don't have a pretty silvery bell laugh, trust me, I would know. I think that you could do much better for yourself but you picked me."

She kissed my palm and held it to her cheek as she spoke. "Yet I want to be selfish and keep you all for myself even though I know you deserve much better."

For a brief moment, I stood in stunned silence. "You believe that you're no good for me," I echoed.

Mac nodded and bit her lip, a temptation I no longer wanted to fight. I dipped my head down to kiss her plump, pouting lips. I moaned softly and trailed my tongue over her upper lip, begging permission. She granted it and I slipped my tongue into her sweet, moist mouth. She tasted like cinnamon and strawberries, mouthwateringly delicious. Her hands clutched at my shoulders, pulling me in closer and I angled my head to the side to go in deeper, caressing the flesh of her mouth.

One of her hands worked its way into my hair, teasing the nape of my neck, causing chills to erupt all over my body, raising the hair on my arms. I pushed her backwards until she hit the wall. I never wanted to stop this. Kissing her was like a drug I never wanted to give up. I could do it forever and never get tired of it, never get bored. It was my new favorite sport. And I was great at it.

Someone tapped my on the shoulder and I turned around to see a glaring Jacob Black. What was his problem? All of her other brothers seemed fine with our constant performance of PDA.

"The both of you are late to class," he said in a deadly voice, his eyes shooting daggers at my head.

I reluctantly dropped my arms form around her waist and let them stay by my sides. "Yeah, okay."

I stepped away from MacKayla and grinned at the flushness of her skin, the swollen lips that were damp from my kisses. Her eyes peeled open slowly, in a dazed manner, before I saw her glazed green orbs look up at her brother. She gasped and wiped her mouth of with the sleeve of her dark blue fleece. "Sorry D-Jacob," she stuttered, a blush making her cheeks glow in that most beautiful way.

I grinned and pecked her forehead chastely. "I'll see you after class," I murmured.

She nodded and I kissed her lips one last time before waving to Jacob and making my way to class. It was going to be a great day.

_~Mac's POV~_

Why did my dad always have to ruin everything? Whenever Wyatt and I kiss, and I mean really kiss, my dad just so happens to be there. I swear, if he keeps this up I'm gonna scream. "What is your problem?" I asked him irritably.

My dad's eyes got large for a millisecond and then narrowed into slits, his face drawn into lines at his forehead where it was creased with anger. It was then that I realized my mistake, but there is no going back now. I could feel his anger beating at me and curling deep in my stomach, bringing my agitation down a few hundred notches. I was about to apologize when he ripped me a new one. "Don't you dare give me that tone of voice, young lady! You may be legally eighteen but that doesn't mean you can publically have his tongue down your throat! Nor does it mean you can do it privately. You are my daughter and if he doesn't respect you then he'll never be let around you!

"And secondly, you better learn to respect me or you'll be so grounded the only people you can talk to are your brothers because you can't fully get them out of your head!" he threatened.

And though, yeah, I totally wanted to yell at him for being wrong up the wazoo on all accounts, keeping my mouth shut and saying "Yes Daddy," gets me more things then you'll ever know.

He sighed and pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around me tightly. He kissed my forehead and grumbled, "I'm sorry, Mackie, but he just makes me want to kill him. He thinks your fifteen but he sure don't act like it."

I laughed at that because I couldn't _not_ laugh at it. "Dad, do you really think I look fifteen?"

He shook his head. "No, but still…"

I sighed too and removed myself from his arms even though it was nice. "We're really late now," I said.

"So? I've taken stupid biology already, and passed it, so it's okay if I skip it," he muttered beneath his breath but he still uttered a goodbye and walked off, dragging his feet the whole way. He hates school more then I do. But at least I have a photographic memory whereas there is still a high percentage of the chance of him failing.

I leaned against the wall, stared at the linoleum lining the hallways, and lost myself in thought. My mind was replaying the morning, making my chest lift with glee, utter happiness and giddy with relief. When I had seen Amber clawing her way into Wyatt's chest after I had parked my car, I nearly exploded into a wolf.

_Just as I got out of my car, a flare of blond and pink brought my gaze over to a scantly dressed woman and my imprint, leaning against a 1970's red Chevy truck. Her hands were running up and down his chest, her icy blue eyes as enticing as they were cold and unfeeling. "Wyatt," she breathed, her voice as seductive as possible as she continued, "have you given up on that little slut yet?" Though her face and voice were a calm mask, persuasion laced within her words, I could hear the truth behind them as if she had spoken aloud._

_My arms shook and I stuck my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, willing my body to listen to my mind. However the way she was touching my soul mate was making me feel like he was having second thoughts. And that only caused my body to tremble more, the quivering making me self-conscious as I became aware of the human heartbeats around me and the human eyes, though easily manipulated, were a risk I was not willing to take. Only once or twice had I let my own emotions get the best of me – though of others were an exception since I had yet to control my power completely – both my werewolf and my vampire sides._

_So I reached deep within, grabbing hold of my emotions and storing them in a different section of my brain, shuffling it into a file, as well as everyone else's emotions. My mind could compartmentalize, and I forced myself to focus, bringing the trembling down, and searching for Wyatt's vibe. I had become accustomed to it, though not until now had I truly acknowledged it before since mine always seemed to overshadow everything else. On more then one occasion had I nearly lost control when I was around him, the last time I had seen him was one of them. _

_I was immediately engulfed with rage, agitation, and pity. There was no desire, no needful lust, no love. Hope flared deep in my chest and I clamped down tight on the feeling, pushing it back into the file where I could let it loose later. I needed to focus, and I couldn't focus if my emotions were controlling my actions._

_Wyatt gripped Amber's wrists hard and wrenched them away from him. She dramatically let them swing at her sides as he spoke in a deadly voice, his tone not the kind timbre I was accustomed to. "Don't you dare call her that," he snarled. "Her name is MacKayla and no, I have not grown tired of her, nor will I ever. Leave me alone."_

_Amber's face was priceless as she let out an angry wail of impatience. "You're making a mistake."_

_He laughed but I felt no humor in him. "Then it's the greatest mistake of my life."_

_A growl rumbled deep in her throat before she huffed and nearly ran angrily down the parking lot. I smiled to myself and before I could help it, I murmured, "So, I'm your greatest mistake, huh?"_

_He hit me with happiness in the boatloads as he turned and saw me for the first time, happiness and relief, pouring over me, cleansing me of the anger he had felt when his gaze had been rested on Amber. He smiled so wide I was sure it would split his face and he was in front of me in an instant, his hands gripping my waist, hauling me up against his warm, musky scented body that was surprisingly hard for a human, and his lips met mine in a savage need that I reciprocated wholeheartedly. I couldn't keep hold of the file that held my emotions and everyone else's in check and I was instantly overwhelmed, but for the first time, it was in a good way._

_I had never thought I could ever feel this way. Feel wanted and loved outside of my family. I had never imagined, though I had been inside of Aiden's head too many times to count, that imprinting could ever impact me this largely, taking the very breath from my body in the most beautiful way. It made me breathless and brought anticipation to the surface where it bubbled, counting the amount of times I could bring a smile from his perfect face, allowing the dimples that flirted with his cheeks as he spoke to become so apparent that I wanted to run my tongue over the dents._

_He pulled away when we needed to come up for air, and I felt the reluctance seep out of his pours until his lips were met with the skin of my neck and the reluctance was replaced with a temporary need to discover the new flesh. "You are the very best mistake," he said, his hot breath fanning out over my skin, raising goose bumps and making my heart flutter into a series of unsteady beats that hurt. However, I couldn't find the pain of my fast heartbeat bad in anyway .Only exhilarating._

I smiled at the memory, the feeling of his hands on my waist, burning a hole onto my hipbones, the softness of his lips as they crashed into mine and the expanse of my neck was branded on my memory as well as my skin. I felt heat rise to my cheeks when I replayed our greeting repeatedly.

The bell brought me out of my reverie and I noticed that I had missed first period all together. Not that I really cared, I had been fluent in French since I was five, what more could an underpaid teacher educate someone who could retain knowledge and never forget. Okay, not true. We could forget, but only if we were careless. If we weren't paying attention to what one was saying, we couldn't always relay it later on, the specifics of the conversation unknown.

I heaved a large sigh and went to my locker so I could switch out my French notebook for my history binder and textbook. To my complete surprise I was pushed into the lockers beside mine roughly, but I wasn't scared because I knew who it was before his lips were parting mine and his tongue was twirling with mine in sinful bliss.

I happily sighed when he pulled away and began littering my face with kisses, his minty fresh breath landing on my suddenly over heated skin, making me flush with pleasure. I went to wrap my hands around his muscular and lean waist when I became aware of the school materials in my hands and an annoyed noise bubbled out of my throat before I could hold it back.

Wyatt laughed and looked down at my books before taking them from me. He closed the door of my locker and looped an arm behind me so that his hand was tucked into my waist and I leaned into him as he led us down the hall. I slipped my arm around him and slid my middle and forefinger into a belt loop of his dark wash jeans.

"You don't have to carry my books," I protested though I truly didn't mind the courteous action he displayed.

He laughed and it warmed my heart to hear it. "I did. My hands were empty, and you seemed to have gotten mad at the inanimate objects. I didn't want you to hurt them," he teased me lightly.

I nuzzled his neck with my mouth. "They were keeping you from me. Of course I would have hurt them," I responded, discreetly running my tongue up the column of his neck.

He groaned and pulled my head away from his neck so he could kiss me once we had stopped walking. I moaned happily and slipped my arms around his neck, fiddling with the crown of his skull. I learned that it was my favorite place to put my hands while we kissed. It was comfortable and I knew that he liked it because I could feel the bumps that rose on his skin when ever my fingers would play with the hair there, ever so slightly scraping my nails against his scalp.

He pulled back and smiled down at me, his dimples flashing at me. I pulled one of my hands out of hair so it slid against his cheek. I fingered his left dimple as I spoke. "See? That was all I wanted to do and the infuriating things weren't allowing me to do it."

He twisted his head and kissed my finger before letting it return to its rightful place on his face. "I'm glad I could be of a service."

The bell rang and we were once again late. How did other couples make it to class on time? There were just so many other things more enjoyable then learning something that would never be of use to me. Like I was really going to get a job! My great-grandfather was the only one with a steady paycheck. A large, steady paycheck if I may say so myself.

He chuckled, at my expression I'm sure, and lightly kissed me on my lips. When he pulled away, he smiled again, and my finger fell into the rivet on his cheek.

"I love your dimples," I muttered, suddenly finding myself kissing them before I could allow my self-restraint to keep my away from them and off rushing to get to class.

Wyatt groaned and pulled me into the shelter of his body, his lips attacking my neck. "If you keep this up, we'll never get to class," he growled, nipping my jugular causing me to cry out softly so not to let anyone within ear shot know what we were busy doing. At school. In a hallway.

"Me?" I contradicted. "What about you? Don't place the blame all on me." I had hoped it would have come out in a more reprimanding tone, but my moaning was throwing the affect way off.

I felt the curving of his lips against my skin and he pulled away. I whimpered my protests but he just took my hand and walked me down the hall where he deposited me at my history class.

Wyatt kissed my nose playfully before rubbing it with his. "I'll see you after class," he whispered, handing me my books.

He left without giving me any recuperating time and I silently cursed him. Yeah, like I could really go to class with my brain so scattered.

***

"Must you really go? Right now? In the middle of a lecture?" Mr. Howe inquired.

The entire class turned around in their seats and Aiden snickered behind his hand. I shot him a glare and gave him a great mental picture of beating his face into the desk. "Yes," I insisted. "It's an emergency. I _really _have to go."

Mr. Howe sighed and tossed a chubby finger in the direction of the door.

"Thanks!" I said enthusiastically.

I really did have to go pee, but it just so _happens_ that my boyfriend and I had agreed to meet each other in front of the bathrooms. I rushed in and quickly did my business. When I was done and walked out of the smelly stall to wash my hands, I noticed ice blue eyes meet mine in the mirror that was carved with tons of words and names all around the edge. I met her glare without backing down. I mean come on! Like I was invalid? I killed vampires for a living. Her scaring me was the day that everyone in hell finally got their order of ice water shipped via UPS.

I turned the facet on to wash my hands but like the bitch she was, she turned the water off and regarded me with, I'm sure, her best intimidation face. You know, the one where her eyes narrow into slits, nostrils flare, and the look on her face starts flashing 'sudden death' in big flashy letters. I almost burst into laughter. My mother gave a better pissed-off-don't-mess-with-me face.

"Stay away from Wyatt," she muttered, her voice quiet, a hushed rush of calm. I knew that this must be the routine she practiced in front of the mirror so she could scare the entire freshman class of females into thinking she was Blair of Gossip Girls that aired from around 2007 to 2011.

"Why don't you stay away from him," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders and flexing the muscles in my arms 'unconsciously' before turning the faucet and letting the water rush onto my hands.

She turned the water off again and I rolled my tongue under my lower lip, pushing it out, to keep from beating her face in with my now wet, and clenched fist. "You listen here," she said, her voice dripping with the venom that was swarming my stomach – a mixture of mine and hers. "Wyatt is just using you. He likes new girls, new faces. But he always gets bored in the end. You probably have no experience and won't pleasure him enough so he'll come running back to me. I'm just trying to save you from the heartache you'll face later on."

A tic started in my jaw. She hit a nerve and I was a split second away from giving her the beating she deserved. I wasn't afraid of a physical fight, but I would kinda feel bad for accidentally slamming her head onto the floor and letting the air leak out of her head. Then she wouldn't even be able to be classified as an airhead.

I stood straight up and looked down at her. I was six foot and she was a measly five three. It was ridiculous that she was trying to take me on. I laughed at her. "Do you really think you could pleasure him? If he left you for me, then you obviously didn't do it right. But don't worry, I won't ever tell anyone that you gave him a case of blue balls, because then I might feel bad when all the guys grimace every time you look at them. You would never get any practice then."

She glared at me. "If you don't stay away from him I'll – "

"You'll what?" I taunted. "You'll try to steal him away? He's mine, not yours. Sorry, but I think his groin needs a break from you."

I walked out of the bathroom not even giving her a chance to answer my challenge. Wyatt was leaning against the wall adjacent to the bathroom door. His face instantly lit up as he saw me, but fell as I made my way towards him. I'm fairly sure my face was murderous, because that's exactly how I felt.

He reached for me but I stepped back from his grasp. "Mac – "

"You and Amber slept together didn't you?"

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I was so happy that I thought I would collapse from the intense feelings that were carrying my heart into a frenzy of beats that were practically painful. I had never had a girlfriend tell me that my dimples were cute. Never had a girlfriend relish touching me, kissing me, as much as MacKayla Black. Amber was the most… touchy one I had ever had, but even then, it was all about her, and never about us.

With Mac, it was like the relationship was mutual. Like she wanted me to be happy just like I want her to be happy. Making her smile, making her laugh, it felt like I was born to do it. I would do anything for her, and I would enjoy every second of it. Because making her happy made me happy. If I ever saw her saddened or hurt, I would never be able to be happy if she wasn't too. I would suffer right there with her because feeling happy when she wasn't felt like a blasphemy.

So when she told me to meet her at the bathrooms in wing two at eleven ten, I was so excited. I hadn't paid any attention to the lecture my calculus teacher was spouting, though I probably should have since I was having a hard time with what he was currently teaching us. However, instead of taking the notes I was supposed to be taking, my eyes were glued to the clock which was going so slow it made molasses look like a fricken cheetah.

When Mr. Huett had finally allowed me to leave, I was late. Some one was out at eleven ten and didn't come back until eleven thirteen. I prayed that I wasn't keeping Mac waiting so I leaned against the wall, my eyes downcast, counting the number of specks in the tiles.

When the bathroom door opened, I looked up into the green eyes that held me so transfixed that I had to smile. She was the most beautiful creature that God could've ever created that it blinded me. So it took me a second to notice that her face was cast in shadows and anger fell off her in waves. She was mad and I wanted to comfort her, to take the sadness and anger away so her eyes could light up again. So that her face would break into that lopsided smile she got whenever I kissed her.

I reached forward, about to take her into my arms but she moved away from me. "Mac –"

"You slept with Amber didn't you?" she interrupted me, her dark tone cutting deep slices into my heart.

I dropped my arms and hung my head in shame. Whatever I saw in Amber, I'll never know, because Mac had opened my eyes in the best possible way. "Yes," I answered.

Mac nodded her head in an angry, jerky movement. "Well then," she muttered, her voice threatening to scare little kids.

I looked up to see her gazing at the trophy case beside me. "Mac, I'm sorry," I apologized, not sure if she wanted to hear it, but I felt like I should say it. Because I was speaking the truth.

Her green eyes shifted towards mine. "What do you have to be sorry for?" she said quietly, though I had a strong feeling that if we weren't in school, she would've been yelling at me. "It's not like you were cheating on me or anything. It's not like you even knew I existed. So why should you apologize? For having bad taste? For being a stupid, horny, male with no –"

"Stop," I instructed, my finger on her lips to silence her. "I apologized because, yes, of those things, but also because I wanted to. Do you think she truly meant something to me?" I asked rhetorically. "Do you think what we did was some magical, perfect moment where we consummated our love for each other?" I laughed bitterly. "To be honest, we only did it a few times and when we did, it felt no different had I been asleep. There is and was nothing I felt towards her. Nothing."

I moved my hand so it was away from her lips and cupping her cheek to whip the sudden tear that was leaking from her right eyes. "I didn't love her; I didn't even really like her. But to keep her happy, I did have to get raped a couple of times so she wouldn't yell at me and tell me how fat and ugly she was."

A small giggle erupted from Mac when I said the word rape and I knew that I wasn't so much of a jackass in her eyes. At least for the moment. I kissed her forehead and tucked a strand of her perfect hair behind her ear. "You mean more to me then she ever could have."

Mac looked up at me, her expression vulnerable again. "I'm sorry that I took my anger out at you," she sheepishly said.

"Don't be sorry. I deserved to be yelled at. But just out of curiosity, what brought this all on?" I asked softly, kissing her wet cheeks, knowing that tears probably embarrassed her. I felt privileged that she would let me see her like this, but it also killed me at the same time.

I looked up as the girls bathroom door was thrown open and out strode a very unhappy Amber who paused when she saw us. Mac turned in my arms and I watched as she straightened to her full height and looked Amber down. I was surprised to see fear flicker over Amber's features before she quickly, and quietly, turned down the hall and went back to class.

"I really hate her," MacKayla muttered darkly.

"You, me, and the chess club, baby."

Mac twisted back around to give me her beautiful laugh, her face back to its brightness, her smile lighting up my world. I yanked her against me and kissed her passionately; letting what I felt for her seep into the kiss, telling her, what I was afraid to say aloud.

* * *

**R/R!**


	7. Dinner Plans

**I am so, so, so sorry about the long wait. Really. I don't understand why writers block seems to always be looming over my head like some ominous rain cloud. *sigh***

**Anyway! I want to say thanks to the awesome and ever so loverly my hubby is no edward****for editing this perfect little chapter for you all!**

**WARNING: a scene of abuse is in italics so if you don't feel comfortable reading it, its okay, you'll get the gist of it afterwards. I was told that it evokes strong emotion, so be warned.**

**Enjoy! =]**

* * *

Chapter 7- Dinner Plans

_~Aiden's POV~_

_Do you like Wyatt with Mac?_

I looked over at my brother Ravyn's large grey and black wolf form and slapped him on the back of the head with my gigantic brown and black paw. Honestly, that boy must have been dropped on his head one too many times. I, being one of the people who dropped him.

_Wyatt? Who the hell is Wyatt? _Devin asked, his interests obviously newly directed at us rather then his newest conquest's breasts. Casanova had a thing for big chests.

_Oops_, Ravyn muttered.

_Mac has a boyfriend? _Quinn, Embry and Savannah's boy, asked as he patrolled La Push along side Devin and Hayden.

I sighed and padded over to a little creek that ran through the forest lining our house. I sat down in front of it so I could gaze at the moon's reflection on the water. Ravyn followed me and plopped down beside me. _I don't think they've classified their relationship, especially to each other_, I answered after a while.

_Are you telling me that _Mac_ imprinted? _Devin questioned in awe, his voice almost squeaky in his surprise.

I didn't even have to answer him because he could pick it out from my head.

_Show me_, Hayden said, finally adding his tidbit to the conversation. He was the protective type, just like Ravyn and I.

I thought of the lunch that Wyatt had sat with us for the first time. The way he looked at her, confusion, and adoration so apparent even a blind person could've seen it. How she had leaned into him so naturally, the way time seemed to stop for her. I had made sure to tune her thoughts out, but there wasn't really anything there to ignore. She was as comfortable with him as he was with her.

Then I thought of lunch today. I knew they had had a small fight during fourth period because I caught the tail end of it, but they resolved everything, and were back to normal by the time they had reached the cafeteria. Well, as normal as can be expected between a human and an immortal werewolf slash vampire. However, they were the kind of couple that relished touching whether it was holding hands while they ate, or whether it was their shoulders when they sat, their eyes when they were apart. It made me happy to see her that way. So elated, so carefree. Mac never knew what she was missing because she had never expected anything, but I knew now that she realized the missing link, the part of her heart that was empty.

I had never felt that since Leah and I had always been together, ever since I was born and first laid my eyes on her, I knew that I had everything I could have ever wanted, but I had been inside Ravyn's and Mac's minds. With Mac, she knew something was off, she knew that even with our family, she felt alone, and the reason why was just intangible to her. With Ravyn, he had no clue. Sure, he felt it every once in awhile, but mostly, it just went over his head. But I didn't need to see the future to know that she was out there, waiting for him, just like he was waiting for her.

Ravyn snorted a wolfy grunt of amusement. _God, how you've changed, Addie. _

I knew arguing with him was useless, but I still couldn't help it. _Only three people in the world are allowed to call me Addie, and Birdie, you aren't one of 'em. _Not unless he magically grew boobs and a vagina. Oh wait; he does have one of those.

He growled, hearing my mind's little joke, and tackled me to the ground before a new, smaller wolf appeared and was pulling me off of him. _Addie, I can't leave you two alone for five seconds, can I?_

I smiled, my lips pulling away from my teeth and I nuzzled into her neck. _I would prefer it if you didn't,_ I answered her truthfully. Only I would let her, my mother, and my sister ever call me Addie. Though I was glad Mac only did it every so often. My mother and Leah on the other hand…

_You know, that Wyatt fellow isn't all that bad looking_, Devin said, probably trying to ignore the fact the I was having inappropriate thoughts about my imprint and how when she was going to phase she would be completely naked and bare.

I froze though, when Leah tensed in my arms. _You told them?_

Shit. _No, it was Ravyn's fault._

_Aiden Chace Black, you didn't!_

_Umm, _I stuttered. _Can we phase back? Please?_

_Sorry bro! I'll talk to you later! _Devin didn't sound a bit contrite, especially considering the fact that he was laughing.

I phased back after Ravyn had run off to give Leah as much privacy as possibly, what with our minds always connected, not worrying about my nakedness. She's seen me naked too many times to count. She followed suit but I was worried about what I would do if I saw her naked. I could never get enough of her.

"Baby," I started, reaching for her but she was pulling at the strings on her ankle.

"Don't 'baby' me. And put some clothes, I don't feel like arguing naked with your brother somewhere near by."

I sighed, pulled the shorts from the string at my ankle, and heaved them up my bare legs, thinking about the last time we argued naked and the fact that we did not really argue much before we... "It really was Ravyn's fault. He started up a conversation about Wyatt and the others overheard," I said, not wanting her to be mad at me, not even for a second. She was scary as hell when she was angry, particularly when it was directed at me.

"It's not that, it's just, Mac didn't want anyone to know," she said, yanking one of my shirts over her head. It was so big that it hung down to her mid thighs. I groaned when I realized she didn't have any underwear tied to her ankle. She knew how to torture me, that was for sure. "She's going to be embarrassed. And chagrin is not something she's very fond of." She tied the string to her red Soffee shorty shorts – my favorite, of course – that now covered a certain area of her that was currently clouding my thoughts.

"I know that," I snapped, running a hand through my slightly curly hair, trying to get the explicit thoughts from my head. "I'm in her head enough to know exactly what goes on in it."

She grinned and hugged me around my waist. "And I know it drives you insane," she murmured, kissing the underside of my jaw. And I knew she really wasn't mad at me any more.

"You aren't a guy who had to deal with getting a period for the first time even though he doesn't exactly have the plumbing for it. I had cramps and PMS just like her every month until we all stopped growing at eighteen," I reminded her, my tone whining. "And that wasn't very long ago, you know."

Leah giggled. When she giggled, it made it hard to believe that she used to be rude. A surly bitch was how dad put it. Though we had no secrets, there were some things in her past that she kept to herself, such as what it was like when she was with Sam. She said that it didn't hurt to think about anymore, that that section of her life isn't important to her anymore, and because of it, she was led to me. You know what I think? I think that it was excessively corny, but when my baby says stuff like that, she means it. "I love you."

She pulled away slightly so she could look up at me while she fingered the engagement ring on a chain around her neck. She wore it on her finger unless we were at school, and then it would go around her neck so people wouldn't assume wrong things. After all, we were technically only fifteen and sixteen.

Although she was tall, six foot two, I was six foot eight. And it was the perfect height difference. "I love you too," she repeated, her fingers caressing my face, cradling it in her perfect hands.

I crashed my lips to hers and all but tackled her to the ground, nearly ripping my shirt off her body. It was nights like these, when I realized that imprinting was the greatest possible thing that could ever happen to a person. And I couldn't wait until Mac could feel this way.

***

_~Mac's POV~_

I knew that I had to tell him. It had been three and a half, almost four weeks since our first kiss, and I knew that having secrets in a relationship did not constitute a healthy bond between us. And it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact that I was so not human.

The other day, we were walking during lunch after we ate, just admiring the forest around the football field.

_"Don't you think that the forest is the most beautiful thing that Mother Nature bestowed upon us?" I asked, clutching Wyatt's hand tightly within my own, our fingers intertwined._

_He looked down at me with a grin, his perfect dimples flashing on display. "Not as beautiful as you," he responded, this dumbstruck look strung across his gorgeous features._

_He pulled me to a stop and tucked a strand of my black curly hair behind my ear like he always did. Wyatt cupped my cheek with his hand and leaned in so our lips were inches apart when it happened._

Aww!_ Ravyn's voice mocked me in my head. I pulled away from Wyatt abruptly. _How cute, the two love birds all alone.

Shut up! God you are so stupid!

_Wyatt gave me a funny look. Well, okay, more like a hurt look, his brows drawn down in confusion. Then I remembered how sometimes when I was angry, what I would say to Aiden or Ravyn in my head would also come out of my mouth at the same time._

_My eyes widened. "Sorry, um, I had a really unintelligent thought?"_

_He raised a questioning brow and I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him like crazy, willing him to forget about it. If I said I had had voices in my head, which would be the truth, he would think I was insane. And honestly, I don't want to go to an asylum where they put me in a straight jacket. Off white is _so _not my color._

Another time was when we were studying at the library, since we had a big test coming up in English class and he didn't have anyone else in the class to study with – yet I secretly wished that it was because he couldn't get enough of me. Though he didn't know I had photographic memory, and didn't even need to study. He had just gotten up to go to the bathroom and we were sitting in the back of the building so we could have uninterrupted make-out sessions between comparing the similarity linking two poems together.

_"I'm going to go to the bathroom really quick," Wyatt said, standing up from the uncomfortable wooden chair beside me._

_He kissed my forehead softly and I watched his receding form until it was completely obscured from my vision by the shelves lining our little aisle of tables that were pushed together._

_I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, trying to get at least a few tangles out of it from our last kissing session. He had this thing for my hair, and though I had absolutely no complaint when he held my head and played with my hair as we made-out, the only thing that was slightly irritating was how quick it got knots afterwards. I looked for my bag knowing that Alice Extraordinaire always keeps brushes, combs, mirrors etc., in my purse._

_I frowned when I saw that my purse was suddenly so far away from me. It sat at the end of the extremely long table, though how it had gotten there was beyond me._

_I checked to see if anyone was around, but with it being a Friday night, I wasn't really surprised to learn most people had better things to do then hang out at the local library._

_I pictured my hairbrush in my mind, willing it to be in my hand. I was tired and being lethargic only slowed my power. Though I could control the speed at which things flew to my side, I wasn't thinking about anything at the time besides the feeling of Wyatt's lips against mine._

_And since I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings, I panicked when the brush was halfway to me and I noticed Wyatt's silhouette through a rather empty shelf. I'm not always the best panic-er when it comes to humans catching me in the "act". So I let the brush fall to the wooden table in shock. I cringed when, to my complete embarrassment and dismay, the loud thud ricocheted around the desolate building._

_Wyatt rounded the corner and froze when he stood in front of the table where my purse sat. "Did you throw your… hairbrush?" he asked, confusion marking his brow. He stared at the compact black bristly hairbrush and then back up at me._

_I gave him a nervous laugh, smiling. "Yeah. I, uh, I just thought that maybe I could make it from her to my purse so I wouldn't have to get up and put it back. Guess not." I got up and snatched my brush, stuffing it in my purse without even getting the chance to smooth out those damn tangles. I smiled sweetly at him, biting my lip at the falseness before grabbing his neck and pulling his soft lips down onto mine. This was getting ridiculous. _

A knock on my door brought me back from reality. I looked up from the computer screen to see my mother walk in.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted, turning my swivel chair around so I was facing her.

She smiled and kissed my forehead before sitting on the trunk that sat at the bottom of my bed. "What're you doing?"

I shrugged. "Just finishing my _To Kill a Mocking Bird _essay."

She sighed. "Yeah, I have to do an essay on Homer's the _Iliad. _The only problem is that I'm a horrid writer so grandma is helping. Of course when she helps" – my mother grinned at this – "she does it for me. Which is nice, 'cause homework sucks."

I laughed at my mother's sly expression. She got up and ruffled my hair and pecked a kiss to my forehead. "Dinner is in ten minutes and we're having guests so don't be surprised."

"Guests?" I echoed.

She nodded, gnawing on her lip.

"Are you planning on telling me who?" I asked, impatient.

She shook her head and was out of my room in a flash. I growled low in my throat and continued my essay. I was halfway through the body when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and smiled to myself when I saw who it was, the picture flashing across the screen.

"Hey," I said, getting up from my chair and flopping down on my bed so I could look at the white canopy above me.

"Hey you," Wyatt said.

I couldn't help the happy grin I got whenever he and I were together, even if it was just on the phone. He made me so elated that it was a little scary but I was not one to be intimidated. I was going into this headfirst and it was the best experience of my life.

"So how is that essay of yours going?" he wondered.

I fiddled with my comforter, wishing he were with me. "Almost done. What about yours?"

I heard his groan over the phone and snickered. "Haven't started," he grumbled.

"Wyatt!" I scolded.

"What?" he mumbled. "It's due in two days. Why get it done now?"

"So that you don't have to do it at the last minute."

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could help me with it tomorrow. Mrs. Williams said that we were working on it in class and if you already finished yours, you'll be bored enough to write mine for me."

I chuckled. "I won't write it for you, but I'll help out."

"Thanks!" I could practically here his grin and I pictured his dimples, those wonderful dents that I loved so much.

"MacKayla!" my dad bellowed from somewhere down stairs. "DINNER!"

I cringed and cupped my free ear. "Ouch. See what I have to live with?"

I could practically hear his grin as he spoke. "I'll talk to you later, Mac."

"Mmhmm, see ya!" I hung up before I could utter those three words that have been itching to be said all week. If only I was brave enough to say them, but I wanted all my secrets to be on the table when I tell him, so he'll know that they're true.

Curiosity winning me over, I saved my essay and quickly trudged down to the kitchen where lots of dark skinned people were sitting. Oh. My. God.

"MacKayla!" Stormy squealed, launching herself into my arms.

I hugged her back and she stepped away for a minute. "Not that I'm complaining, but what the hell are all of you doing here?"

Devin laughed. "We always come up for Christmas!"

I frowned. Had I really forgotten that it was December? Yep, must have.

"Hey, there baby girl!"

I gasped and turned around. My great-grandfather was standing in the doorway. "Charlie!" I squeaked. We had agreed calling him great-grandfather made him seem too old so we all called him Charlie except for Bella, who insisted on calling him dad to his face. I threw my arms around his warm neck and squeezed tight, but not tight enough to hurt him or cut of the air circulation he so desperately needed. I ruffled his now gray hair. "You look good, even though you're pushing sixty-two!" I laughed.

He grinned and ran a hand over his beer belly. "Yeah, been workin' out." He poked me in the side playfully. "But look at you! You're all grown up!"

I blushed and glanced at Sue Clearwater and embraced her. She was older then Charlie but not by much. Her hair had turned into a salt and pepper mix but her eyes showed her youthfulness. "Good thing you guys have a big house," she said, "Otherwise we would never fit."

We all shared a laugh as we situated ourselves around the table. All twenty-four of us, even the ones who didn't need to eat.

***

"So, how are things with you and Wyatt?" Devin asked causally.

I choked on my soda, nearly spewing it all over my father who sat in front of me.

Before I could ask him who Wyatt was and where he ever heard of the name in an innocent manner, he was yelping in pain and clutching what I could only guess was a shin under the table, a murderous expression on Aiden's face.

"You!" I accused. "How could you?!"

"Who is Wyatt?" Charlie asked.

"Nobody," I answered but inwardly flinched at the lie. He sure as hell wasn't 'nobody'. "Aiden, you are so dead," I threatened.

"This is great salmon," Sue said, chewing her food, ignoring the little outburst.

"Thank you," Bella said, smiling warmly at her.

_I can't believe you told him!_

_It was all Ravyn's fault, I swear it!_

_That's it; the two of you are DEADMEAT! AFTER DINNER IN THE FOREST! It is so on!_

_It was an accident, I didn't think the others were listening! _Ravyn cried. _I really am sorry._

"Do you guys mind?" Edward asked, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. "I have twenty-three other thoughts in my head right now, and the two of you are not helping matters any by fighting and screaming."

I growled, but regained my composure and continued eating. "You all suck," I grumbled beneath my breath.

Devin, Hayden, and Stormy laughed, along with Paul, and Colin, who never really grew up, even after they had kids. Rebecca and Rachel threw them you're-crazy why-did-I-marry-you looks before looking at each other and giggling. I saw Edward cringe slightly and didn't really want to know what they were thinking after that.

My grandmother sighed and I saw Edward beam at her before kissing her temple and murmuring, "Thanks, love."

"You know," Charlie said after a while, "this Wyatt guy means something to you or you wouldn't have flipped out like you did. Why not invite him over for Christmas dinner next week? I would love to meet him." I heard a threat and a promise in his words. And he owns a shotgun.

I stiffened. "That would so not be a good idea."

"Yes," Esme intervened. "That would be a fantastic idea! I want to meet him too!"

"No, Esme –"

"Shut it, Mackie, we all want to meet him. You might as well stop begging, it's a done deal," Devin said with a mischievous grin.

"But he doesn't know!" I exclaimed, not so happy with the fact that everyone wanted to push this. He has his own family, too!

"So? We won't say anything hinting on the supernatural side. We'll all be on our best behavior," Hayden smirked.

"Fine," I grumbled. "But if he never speaks to me again afterwards because you are all psychos, I'm running away from this crazy family."

I was answered with loud, bursting laughs.

***

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I could hear her yelling. I hated it. I hated _her_. She was always like this before she went to work. I could hear him, too, though it was barley audible in my room. He never really stood up to her, nor did he ever truly raise his voice when he spoke. He rarely would stand up for Hailey and me. I didn't talk to him unless it was morning and Hailey and I were eating the breakfast he made. The Bitch, as I liked to refer her to as, would sleep in since she wouldn't get back from work until five a.m.

I leaned back against the headboard of my bed and clenched my teeth tightly. For the first time in years, I thought about my childhood. Or lack there of.

_I sobbed into my little six year old hands. I didn't like her. Why did she keep doing this to me? All I wanted was some apple juice before school. Daddy wasn't feeling good so I was letting him get some more sleep after taking care of Hailey last night. Hailey couldn't get to sleep after having nightmares._

_When I had tugged on her arm, trying to wake her up, she exploded, waking up angry. She started yelling at me, asking me why I was getting her up at seven o'clock in the morning._

_"I'm thirsty. Could you help me get the apple juice from the fridge?" I asked._

_Then she looked at me, and I flinched back out of habit. Her hand came upon my face swiftly, and the force of it cause me to stumble backwards where I landed on the floor._

_"You know better then to get me up, boy. I don't care if you're fucking starving, I don't want you to get me up. Do it yourself."_

_I tried to contain the tears, the wailing, as I clutched my cheek in my hand, praying the sting would just go away._

_"Get up," she instructed, her voice hard. "Don't make a sound, just get out."_

_I attempted a nod and moved myself so I could get up. My legs were like jell-o, shaking as if I were standing on a trampoline after bouncing up and down on it. "I said OUT!" she screamed when I didn't move fast enough for her. She was so loud; I wondered why daddy wasn't getting up to save me._

_I let out a sob by accident. She was at my side in an instant, gripping my wrist so hard it hurt and I bit my tongue so hard it bleed just to keep in my cry._

_"If you just learned to behave," she muttered, pushing me down the stairs. "If you just knew how to act, I wouldn't have to do this to you."_

_When my legs weren't moving fast enough for her, she shoved me, and I fell down the last flight of stairs. My legs and arms were throbbing in pain as I lay crumpled at the foot of the stairs and I let a single tear fall down my cheek. I wasn't going to let her beat me. Not again._

_"Go sit down at the table," she grumbled._

_I did as she asked, but glared at her back when she went and got a cup from the cupboard. She threw it down so hard the table shuddered, nearly falling over. We weren't wealthy enough to afford a table that was strong and sturdy._

_She walked to the fridge and came back holding the apple juice that was too heavy for me to hold. She poured it into the cup, her hard, dark grey eyes staring at me. When the cup was full, she set the jug down and gripped my hair in her hands, yanking my head as far back as it could go._

_"You wanted juice, didn't you?" she murmured, calmly. "You are going to drink and if you wake up the baby, there will be no dinner for you tonight, understood?"_

_I nodded as much as I could with the limited movement I was allowed with my head in the awkward position. She told me to open my mouth and I did, my eyes wide. She dumped the apple juice into my mouth causing me to gag and sputter trying to keep it down._

_"Drink, damn you! You wanted this, didn't you?!"_

_She tipped the glass back again, allowing the liquid to shoot down my small throat. I tried to swallow convulsively but I was getting more juice on my shirt and the floor then I was getting in my stomach._

_"You're making a mess. You better drink this shit or you're going to have to clean all this up," she threatened._

_I didn't cry until the glass was empty, more then half of it on the floor. She tossed me a mop and a bucket and told me to clean it up before I went to school or she would have to punish me again. I filled the bucket with water and stumbled towards the dinner table in the middle of the kitchen. I got on all floors and dunked the sponge in the water so I could clean the floor. I didn't like the mop since it was too big for me._

_Movement caught my eye and I looked up to see my daddy standing over me. His eyes were large with regret and sadness as he took the glass from the table and placed it in the sink. With one last fleeting look, he went back upstairs._

_That was the last time I ever called him 'daddy'._

I rubbed my eyes, the twinge in them bringing me back to reality. It had been so hard, though that time was very mild compared to others. So hard to hide the bruises, tell the doctors I fell when I had broken wrists and legs. It only got worse when I would defend Hailey, never letting her be beaten. There were times when I couldn't be there though. Like when I had practice and games.

I told her I would quit but she refused, telling me I deserved something that kept my mind away from home and how I was going to hide the knew bruises and welts the next day. But she was worth it, if I could save her, it was all worth it. _He_ never did anything to help us, and I refused to have my sister treated the way I've been all my life.

I heard the slamming of the front door and watched as The Bitch sped down the road. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that it was five. She was going to work.

I smiled, knowing that it would be quiet since The Submissive, as I liked to call him, spent most of the time in his study when he wasn't arguing with her.

I reached for my cell phone as it rang angrily and noticed the only number I knew that would save me from my past.

"Hey, Mac," I said into the receiver, a smile pulling my lips up at the corners. I glanced over at Hailey who shared the room with me, too afraid to sleep alone. Making sure she was asleep, I unlocked the window and got onto the roof.

"Hi," she responded, sounding really shy.

That surprised me. My little Mackie was never shy. "What's up?" I asked, a frown knitting my eyebrows together as I sat down on the roof, looking out onto the front lawn that was yellow and hadn't been mowed in weeks. Our house looked like shit and I couldn't care less. I was only living here until I graduated. And I vowed I would take Hailey with me when I left.

"Nothing," she said, but it was a lie. I could hear it in that sweet, sweet voice of hers. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"That was a lie, MacKayla. You can't lie worth shit," I laughed. Until I noticed my slip up.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

I didn't cuss around her. I only cussed when I was at home. When my past was eating me up inside. "Of course. Now what about that lying to me? Don't try to change the subject."

I heard a heavy sigh. "What are your plans for Christmas?"

Christmas? God, I hated that holiday the most. "Nothing, why?"

"Absolutely nothing? But it's a family –"

I cut her off. "I'm not doing anything. Why?"

This was where she hesitated. "Well, umm…" She said 'umm' and 'uh' when she was afraid to say what she really meant. I chuckled at her apprehensiveness.

"Yes?" I prompted her softly.

"My family wants you over for dinner on Christmas Eve," she said, it all coming out in a jumbled mess, almost too fast for me to catch.

"Dinner?" I echoed incredulously.

"You don't have to, you know. I realize that you have your own family –"

"I would love to go," I interrupted her. She just had to keep bringing up my family.

"Really?" Through the embarrassment, I noticed the excitement.

"Of course. I would love the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve with you." I smiled, tucking my knees into my chest. "What time should I be there?"

"I guess you could come by around four. But I'm going to warn you now, I have a very large family. As in, you could get lost and you'll never remember any names."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It can't be that bad. Besides, I get to meet your parents."

"My par-parents," she stuttered nervously. "Yeah, um, yeah, you'll get to meet th-them."

"What? Are your parents some psycho killers, or something? Should I be worried for our safety?" I asked, half meaning it, and half teasing her. If they were psychos, I wasn't sure what I would do.

"No! No, nothing like that. It just, my family, well, they're extremely embarrassing."

"That's all?" I grinned. No matter how far away I was when I was stuck in my head, she could always fix me. She could always make me better.

"That's all?! Don't yours do the same thing?"

I lost my smile and my voice became hard without meaning for it too. "No." My voice was clipped and I grimaced as it came out.

"Wyatt? Are you truly okay?" she inquired gently.

"Yeah, as long as you're with me… yeah. I'll see you on Wednesday. Four o'clock."

"Four o'clock," she agreed.

After our goodbyes, I shut my phone and leaned my head on top of my knees so I could look up at the dark sky. The stars glittered brightly against the black canvas.

I didn't know what I would do if I ever lost MacKayla.

* * *

**So the next chapter should be good! Its the Christmas dinner in all it's awakwardness =] I cannot wait!**

**Review! **


	8. Keeping Secrets

**Okay, so I am sorry that this took so long, but I think the length totally made up for it, right? This chapter is huge! Major things are going to happen, so please, kick back and enjoy! =]**

* * *

Chapter 8- Keeping Secrets

_~Wyatt's POV~_

Snow was falling from the sky in gentle twirls, layering the ground in a soft white blanket. It rarely ever snowed this early in the year, but a cold front had swooped in from Canada, making it so cold, that the warmest temperature was twenty degrees in the last forty-eight hours.

I buttoned up my plaid black and red flannel coat, the black buttons the shape of canoes, the very first thing I had bought with my own money from my job down at the mechanic's shop when I had turned fifteen. It was old and ratty, a few holes in it from welding all day long at the shop, but it was damn warm in the winter. I ran a hand through my unruly hair that I couldn't seem to keep from sticking up. I looked at myself in the mirror that was hanging from the closet door. Maybe I needed a cut.

I sighed, knowing this was as classy as Wyatt Parker could ever get and called, "Hailey! Let's go, or your gonna be late!"

Hailey bounded into our room in the processes of slipping her hair into a ponytail at the base of her skull. "Okay, I'm good to go," she announced, lifting up her suitcase that had been leaning up against the rackety old bedroom door.

Hailey had been lucky enough to be invited to go to Florida with a friend for Christmas. And so was I, for that matter. If she had had nowhere to go, I would've taken her with me to Mac's house.

I dropped Hailey off at her friend's house and double-checked the directions to Mac's house before heading over there. She lived in a sechluded area, their driveway at least a mile long.

I was starting to worry that maybe I had made a wrong turn somewhere when the trees lining the private driveway and road opened up to a large clearing. The drive split into a curved road that wrapped around a bed of flowers surrounding a large Willow tree. My eyes widened as I took in the three stories and the large Grecian pillars at the front door. There were tons of windows; open space. A six-car garage was settled off to the side and I parked next to a gleaming and sleek Maybach.

I slowly exited my old truck, my eyes never leaving the couple hundred thousand dollar car. I had had no clue my MacKayla was wealthy enough to afford such an expensive car. And leave it outside in the weather no less!

"Eyeing my car?" a gruff, male voice asked.

Shocked, I spun around and saw a very tall, rust-skinned man I had never seen before leaning up against my old, beat up, rusty, and red and white truck bed, the paint chipping off.

The man's eyes were dark. The kind of dark where you can't tell the irises from the pupils. He was taller then me by a good five inches, and his sinew was thicker then mine, more bulky.

"Sorry," the man said, a smile splitting his face, giving away the fact that his apology wasn't genuine. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no, you didn't scare me," I rebutted. "I was just in awe over your car. Top of the line. The 62 S, right?"

The man who was probably my age eyed me like a suspect on trial, but when I mentioned the model, he nodded and his face softened into a cocky grin.

"Devin!" a voice shrilled from the house.

I glanced up to see MacKayla flinging herself off the porch and down onto the gravel where the curved, paved road veered off towards the six garages.

As she made her way towards me, she popped Devin in the back of the head. "Leave Wyatt alone," she ordered sternly before wrapping her arms around my waist and laying a sweet and gentle kiss to my ever-waiting lips.

I heard Devin grunt in annoyance, rubbing the spot on his skull where she had hit him. "Jeez, Mackie, it's not like I was telling him the big se –" he stopped midsentence and gasped as if in pain, his eyes as wide as saucers as he cupped his groin with his hands. He fell sideways onto the snow with a load, agonizing groan.

MacKayla was silently laughing in my arms and I leaned down to whisper in her hear. "What did you do?"

She let a small, quiet giggle escape before she answered my question. "I kicked him in a highly sensitive area. He'll be fine in a minute or two." Her warm breath hit my ear and I couldn't resist pressing my mouth down her jaw line until I hit her lips, where I captured them with my own in a searing hot kiss.

She smiled against my lips and pulled me towards the house with her. I intertwined our fingers and Devin limped behind us. I grimaced, having been injured in that certain testicular region before.

"If you weren't a girl who has a helluva good right hook and strong legs, as well as a black belt in jujitsu and karate, I would deck you right now," Devin proclaimed, a groan lingering in his voice.

MacKayla laughed at him. "You're only saying that because you just lost your ability to have children."

Devin moaned. "I'll be lucky if I can ever use it again, let alone make babies!"

My lips twitched in amusement at their family banter. Mine sure as hell wasn't like this.

Waiting at the open door was a man who looked quite similar to Devin, only less muscular, more lean. His eyes were a lighter shade of brown, but still dark. He was an inch or two shorter then Devin, probably older, too. And he was laughing so hard that tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

"Devin, that was priceless!" he chortled. "You should've seen your face!" He grabbed his sides, roaring in a fit of laughter.

"Shut your mouth, Hayden, before I do it for you," Devin threatened.

"Empty threats, little brother, empty threats," the man said to be Hayden taunted.

"I'll show you empty threats," Devin growled, launching himself at his older brother, only to be held back by Ravyn who I hadn't noticed approaching us.

"Not in the house," Ravyn reminded him. "Remember the last time?"

MacKayla sighed and tightened her fingers slightly on mine. "I'm sorry," she said, "I've forgotten to introduce you. The laughing one is my cousin Hayden, and the glaring one is his little brother, Devin."

"Younger," Devin corrected. "Little makes me sound like I'm six or something."

MacKayla just rolled her eyes at him.

I shook both their hands and grinned at how hard they gripped mine, a test of testosterone, to see if I was a real man or not. I squeezed back. "Wyatt," I greeted, flashing them a smile.

They eyed me speculatively but I didn't have a real chance to mention anything because I was thrown back into the door, my head banging on the wood with enough force that stars danced beneath my lids, and I grunted in pain.

"Stormy!" Mac yelled and I finally noticed the small girl who had wrapped herself around my waist, shaking like crazy with the sobs that wrenched through her entire body.

Stormy was crying so hard it made me forget about the ache in my body from being slammed into the door. I wrapped my arms hesitantly around her, not wanting to frighten her, but if I did, she scared me first.

"Thank you," she mumbled, "I'm so happy."

Happy? She was crying like this because she was happy? I will never understand women. Confused as hell, I stroked her long black hair and murmured words of comfort, trying to calm her down like I would when Hailey would cry. I wasn't real sure on what to do, but it seemed to work. Her sobs quieted down until she was limp against me.

Mac pulled her away from me and into her arms. She regarded me with a gentle and loving gaze, mouthing the words "Thank you."

I shrugged indifferently before noticing what seemed like a million people, at the time, staring at me. Suddenly nervous and embarrassed, I walked closer to MacKayla. I was feeling overwhelmed and my hand automatically searched for Mac's warm and comforting palm. She looked up at me and smiled encouragingly.

However, as soon as the odd feeling arrived, it was gone and replaced by a calm and collectiveness that didn't quite suit me. I didn't let go of Mac's hand, thoroughly puzzled. Yet, the calm and serene emotions seemed to even take away my bewilderment.

"I'm Esme," a woman exclaimed. Her caramel colored hair was down in waves around her extremely pale shoulders, the butterscotch of her eyes soft and inviting. I guessed that she was Mac's mother but how a doctor and a housewife could care for eleven teenagers was beyond me. She nudged a blond man beside her. "And this is my husband, Carlisle."

"You have a beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," I said cliché-ly, not really knowing what I should say, finally taking in the interior of the large colonial house.

The inside was painted soft hues, the carpet a bright white. The front door opened up to the foyer where there was a grand staircase directly adjacent to the door. A curved archway to the left of the door exposed the living room where a large Plasma screen was propped up on the wall and two large leather sectionals surrounded it. A white grand piano was off in the distance, pushed up against a wall of windows overlooking the side of the property that had a small creek cutting into the land.

To the right was a study from the looks of books cluttering floor to ceiling shelves, though the door was half closed, giving me only a partial view of the inside. Sandwiched between the study and what looked like a bathroom was an identical archway to the one that opened up to the living room, giving me a nice sight of the blue/green kitchen with white granite counter tops.

To the right of the huge staircase, the foyer turned into a hallway and continued to the back of the house. Windows covered the wall where the foyer ended and I saw a forest lining the back of the house.

Esme smiled warmly at me. "Thank you, but please, call us Esme and Carlisle."

I beamed at them and repeated their names, causing her smile to grow wider, and her eyes flickered between Mac and me.

I already knew everyone else except another dark skinned man who oddly resembled Leah. I learned his name was Seth and went to Seattle University as a sophomore. We talked about it a bit, but it seemed to make him uncomfortable so I switched to football and how the Sea Hawks were doing, though I preferred the Green Bay Packers. He smiled largely at me and jumped right into the conversation, bringing me to the conclusion that he was a fun and good-natured guy, someone who you could easily hit it off with. He was easy-going and I liked him immediately.

Emmett had overheard our exchange about football and challenged me to a 'family' game outside until Edward reminded him that it was snowing and around seventeen degrees, thus, making us freeze to death and he frowned, defeated. But an odd glint appeared in Emmett's mischievous golden eyes before he grinned and re-challenged me to one when the weather warmed up.

I couldn't help but love MacKayla's family. They fought, they bickered, and the love between them was palpable. I was jealous and I hated feeling that way. It was bad enough that I wasn't nearly good enough for her. Children from broken and abusive homes often turn into their parents. Someone who had an abusive parent has a greater chance of turning abusive than someone who came from a loving family. And that has always scared me. Made me afraid of myself and what I was capable of even though I didn't have much of a temper.

MacKayla was the kind of girl I could see myself marrying. The kind of girl who I could picture pregnant with my children, seeing our hair turn grey with old age, rocking our grandbabies on our front porch as we watched the sun fall over the horizon. I was so deeply in love with her, hurting her when I left would be inevitable though my selfish needs knew I could never leave her.

She healed parts of me I hadn't known were broken. She was the light in my world of darkness that glowed with goodness and sweet innocence. She healed the deep wounds inflicted upon me by my mother even though she didn't know it yet. She barged though the heavily armed walls that I had erected around my heart, and staked her claim, a little flag flying on the red organ, waving to let me know she had won the battle for my heart.

"Would you like a tour?"

Mac's question jerked me from my thoughts and I realized that everyone had left us alone. She squeezed my fingers and I smiled down at her, burying my nose in her hair. I inhaled her unique scent of the outdoors, lavender, and red roses in springtime before I answered. "I would love that." I kissed her cheek, letting her lead me through the foyer and up the grand staircase.

"There isn't much to show but closed doors and pictures," she informed me.

I gasped at a large wooden cross hanging over the landing.

Mac laughed nervously when she saw what my gaze was resting on and scratched the back of her neck. "Yes, we're real big on, um, church going and what not."

"I'll say," I breathed. "That looks really old."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's been passed down from generation to generation according to my… father."

I gave her a funny look. She always stuttered or gave a long pause when she talked of her siblings or her parents, as if it felt weird for her to say. Just as I was about to ask her about it, music began to flow flourishingly through the white corridor. Beautiful flowing notes drifting through the entire house, filling my ears with a soft and gentle lullaby.

"Wow," was all I could manage, the song so beautiful that it calmed me considerably, almost making me tired.

"Yeah, my, ah, brother Edward likes to play the piano," she muttered, a look of utter frustration marring her perfect features.

"He's good," I commented, admiring the music as we continued along, my thumb rubbing the soft skin of her hand methodically.

The second story consisted of seven bedrooms and four bathrooms. I hope I was able to keep my composer considering the fact that the first story was probably bigger, square feet wise, then my entire house.

Mac led me up a second set of stairs at the end of the hallway. The third story had six bedrooms and each bedroom had an adjacent bathroom.

"And this one is mine," Mac finally said, opening the door.

Her room wasn't overly decorated with over the top colors of pink, not that I had expected that or anything. Her walls were an off white color, her four-poster bed was dark mahogany, the canopy and duvet a royal blue pushed up against the wall of windows. A desk with an Apple computer matched the mahogany bed and end tables, along with a vanity that looked as if it was never used, and a small dresser near the bathroom. Though it seemed that Mac's family liked high-end, flashy couture and pricey furniture and clothes, my MacKayla was simple, as if it didn't take a lot for her to be happy with what she had.

"I like your room," I said, closing the door shut behind me.

"Thanks," she replied shyly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I sat down beside her and held her hand. I never truly noticed, but we touched a lot. We almost always held hands while we walked, and if we didn't, my arm would be around her waist. I kissed her so many times a day I would need more then two hand and two feet just to count. I loved being around her, feeling the softness of her skin on mine. Even the brush of her arm against mine was like a kiss and each time it happened made me sigh with pleasure.

She contently rested her head on my shoulder and her hand fell onto my thigh. My blood started pumping swiftly in my veins as her hand burned a hole into my pants, my breathing coming out in quick secession. With my forefinger under her chin, I lifted her face up so I could gaze and drown in her forest green eyes.

"I love your family," I said softly. "Their really nice."

She grinned and fiddled with the fingers of my hand, which was suddenly resting on my thigh with hers. "They like you too," she answered simply.

I clucked my tongue. "You're just saying that," I said in my best girly voice, bending my wrist at my chest.

She shook her head slightly and laughed a little. "No, it's true. Though, you haven't met my grandfather or his wife yet."

"I'm sure I'll like them too."

"He used to be the Chief of Police in Forks before he retired," she warned me, a note of amusement in her voice.

"Does he still own a gun?"

She nodded.

"Looks like I'm dead meat then," I whispered into her ear.

"Looks like," she agreed.

I chuckled also and she grinned even more. I rubbed my nose against hers right before my hands started to attack her sides.

She erupted into a fit of laughter as she fell back against the bed, crawling up it, trying to get away but I crawled up it with her. "St-stop!" she pleaded.

"What?" I asked innocently, continuing my assault.

"Tick-tickling me! I hat-hate being tick-tickled!" she gasped out over her giggles.

"Oh, you do, huh."

She nodded and I began tickling up her ribcage until she started knocking a pillow against me. I lifted my hands up to defend myself but because they had been supporting my weight, it had caused me to crash on top of her, her right leg between mine and my arms on either side of her head. She continued laughing and I looked up at her joyous face.

I reached up and ran my fingers through her curly hair that was hanging around her shoulders, the hair I loved so much, so I could cradle her head with my hand. Her laughter ceased along side mine, our gazes locked in a heated look. Blood drained from my brain and made me dizzy. I leaned down until my lips met hers, my tongue pushing into her hot, strawberry flavored mouth.

She moaned and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling more of my weight onto her. She wormed her leg from being sandwiched between both of mine and to the side, so I settled between her thighs. My heart racing, I pulled back and kissed her neck, sucking softly at the hollow of her throat, enjoying the groans from her, the feel of her nails as they scraped my hair, her hands holding my head to her skin as she arched into my mouth.

I was drunk on sensation. The way her hands were hot, holding my head gently, the feel of her bare feet pushing my pant legs up over my calves. She ran her heels up and down my legs, eliciting a groan from deep inside my throat.

With her hands in my hair, she yanked my lips back up to hers. Her hands let go of my head, and traveled down my shoulders, down my backside, to lift the hem of my shirt up a little, revealing the skin above my ass. Mac's hands rested at my lower back, and she pulled me into her, her legs wrapping themselves tightly around my waist, trying to get me as close to her as possible. And I had absolutely no problem with that.

My hands were running up and down her sides, reveling in the feel of her skin as they inched the hem of her sweatshirt higher, higher until –

The door to Mac's room flew open and she and I both gasped, pushing each other away. Mac fixed her sweatshirt as she sat up on the bed, pulling it back down over her exposed stomach. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to fix it as Jacob Black's brown gaze promised my death. Really, what was with this guy?

"MacKayla, you don't shut this door anymore," he ordered. When she didn't answer, he asked, "Do you understand me? You are _not_ allowed to the close the door and be alone with him."

I thought that he was her brother, not her father.

"Ha!" MacKayla laughed. "Um, that really wouldn't do much, Da-Jacob. And we weren't doing anything anyway."

I wasn't all that surprised when his eyes narrowed at me and then her. "The both of you should go downstairs," he said lowly, his voice dark with promises of my demise.

She sighed and pulled me up, not letting go of my hand as we headed down stairs.

_~Jacob Black's POV~_

I anxiously drummed my fingers on the granite counter in the kitchen. I had caught my daughter and her imprint having sex on her bed! With the door closed! And they were making noises! Noises! My little girl! My _baby_ girl.

I had changed her diaper and bathed her. Fed and burped her. Taught her to use her powers, to try to ignore her brothers when they would annoy and upset her through their shared thoughts. I wiped her bottom when she was being potty trained. Watched as she entered this world.

I watched her phase for the first time. I watched as she learned to walk, learned to read. I held her when she would cry, read to her when she was too tired to do it herself. Laughed when she would do something unintentionally funny, like all parents do with their children. I was there to see her smile for the first time, privy to her first laugh. I had a tea party with her when she was two, played house with her fifty times when she was five. Taught her how to work on cars, how to ride an ATV, a dirt bike, a motorcycle.

I watched her turn into a young lady, taking her to karate and jujitsu lessons. I taught her how to be a wolf, how to control her anger, her phasing. Watched her beat Emmett three times in a row at football, though only one wasn't an intentional lose. She is and was a child. I was there for her when that vampire attacked her for the first time. I was there while she had to get stitched up and placed in a full body cast.

And now, I had to watch her be devoured every time I leave those two alone! I drummed my fingers impossibly fast on the counter.

A hand gripped mine so hard, it turned my knuckles white. "Jake, seriously, you're pissing me off," Leah growled. "If your gonna be a girl about it, go do it somewhere else."

"Well, go away then, if I'm 'pissing' you off, I was here first," I growled back.

"Honey, she's right. You're annoying all of us," Nessie murmured, affectionately rubbing the back of my tense neck muscles, working out the kinks.

"You heard them, Renesmee! You know what he was thinking, because they were acting on impulsion! He's a man, and I happen to know how think, contrary to what Emmett thinks about my small package."

She rolled her eyes and sat on a bar stool beside me, her hand never leaving my neck. "Jakey, we knew this would happen. And you are completely overreacting."

"I am not!" I yelled indignantly.

She sighed heavily. "Jake, you are torturing her."

"Good! They will not act impulsively –"

"Like we did?" She raised a brow. "Jacob, I seem to remember acting impulsively with you."

"Yeah! And look where that got us!" _Shit._

Her eyes clouded and an angry pink took to her pale cheeks. "You've never once said it was a mistake. And I have a photographic memory, Jacob Black," she said in a low, pissed off tone of voice. Which automatically meant that I was sleeping outside tonight.

"Angel –"

"No, don't angel me!" she interrupted, flinching away from my touch. "And don't expect me to even look at you. Don't bother coming to bed tonight, for that matter."

Nessie got off the stool and angrily stomped off towards the study and slammed the door.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"I hope you like sleeping in the snow!" I heard her yell from inside the Carlisle's study.

Word of advice; never tell your wife that your children were mistakes. Even if you didn't mean for it to come out that way.

_~Leah's POV~_

I laughed at Jacob's miserable face. He wasn't my alpha anymore. "Don't like lover boy, huh?"

Jake grunted and rested his head on his hand, leaning onto the kitchen counter. "It's not that, I just don't like him… touching, or looking at, and/or sucking face with my daughter. That's all. And now, because of him, I get to sleep outside. Knowing Ness, she'll never let me even try to talk to her until tomorrow. Mackie taught her how to be angry. Unfortunately."

Aiden took that moment to stride in. Ignoring everything, including his father who was basically crying like a baby over a cold bed tonight, he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled my neck, nipping playfully. "What do you say to a quickie in the bathroom?" he asked huskily, his tone implying all kinds of sexiness.

I grinned and Jake groaned. "You are a bad influence on Mac!"

Aiden turned to his father, keeping his arms around me. "I'm a man, Dad. What did you expect me to say?"

"I don't know, something eloquent," he grumbled burying his face in his hands.

Aiden barked out a laugh. "Dad, I'm not a pussy." He eyed me seductively as he said the word and it brought a blush to my cheeks. The way the man could do that to me should be made illegal.

Before him, the only time I ever blushed was back when I was with Sam. Back when I wasn't broken. Back when I was happy. Back to a time when I had had everything I wanted, and life was perfect. There were no mythical creatures, no one going to jump out of the closet and scream, "Life's over!" Back to a time when Emily and I were so close, we could spend three hours a day on the phone, talking about every little thing that happened that day, that week.

And then, after he disappeared, everything changed. He was distant, reserved. We didn't connect like we used to, we didn't communicate. We fought all the time, rarely were we intimate with each other, but we at least tried. Until, one day, I had needed to vent my frustrations to Emily, my best friend, my sister. They had met before, but never had it been like an awkward moment, never had he stared at her like she was the sun and he was Earth, orbiting around her. And then, the rest is history.

When I joined Jake's pack twenty-five years ago, I had been happy to leave Sam's mind, happy to never have to listen to his thoughts about Emily, about _me_. I had still been bitter though. The way my life had played out, like a bad soap opera, one where people actually never died. I had never truly been okay with Nessie, but she was making Jake happy, she was helping him deal with his Bella issues, and while she was pregnant, I'll never tell her, but I had been drawn to her. Like I had to always be by her side. I didn't tell anyone, and I never thought about it, because I was afraid I had like, turned lesbian or something, but when Aiden was born, and I first laid my eyes on him, I was no longer in need to be with Nessie, but with him.

When he opened his green eyes for me, when he had looked at me for the first time, I lost hold of everything. Sam didn't matter to me anymore, Emily didn't matter to me anymore, my past didn't matter, because I was here for him. I was here to be his, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Aiden had a sweet side to him, I had learned, watching him grow up. He was protective, and loveable. He cared for all his loved ones so easily, his eyes compassionate and loving whenever he looked at his sister, his mother, and me. He would literally cut off his leg if that meant someone else could live. He was entirely selfless towards others, though, like right then, he had a few selfish needs.

He was insatiable. No matter how long we spent together, he was always wanting more. There were nights where I got no sleep, because he couldn't keep his hands off me. And I didn't really have a problem with it. It was everyone else that did because I'm a total harpy when I don't get enough sleep. But every night when he can hold me in his arms was a night worth it, even if I only got a half an hour of sleep and I would do it all over again the next night. I was insatiable too, when it came to him.

And his quickie idea was sounding pretty damn good to me at the moment.

"See!" Jake yelled. "You rubbed off on MacKayla and now she's gonna be having sex with Wyatt! How long did you to hold off, huh?"

Aiden sighed. "Does it even really matter? Guys aren't the same as girls. We have different urges, and our urges are way more obvious then girls', so it's not easy to hide. What was is supposed to do? Leah was a better option then myself. And I had already realized I was in love with her by then."

I laughed at his words. Sometimes, he needed to learn how to shut his mouth.

"Oh God!" Jake whined. "Does that mean you were fifteen?"

Aiden grinned ear to ear and gave me a seductive look. "Perhaps."

"Leah! You are old enough to be his mother!"

I looked up to see Emmett standing in the doorway, laughing his ass off. "So? He can be very persuasive," I muttered, turning all kinds of red. I only blushed around Aiden, even though there were no secrets between us.

I loved him, but there were things his father didn't need to know about us.

"God, I am so lucky that Ravyn didn't imprint on someone at birth, also. At least he's still… innocent."

I shared a look with Aiden and Emmett for a second before we all burst into laughter.

"You're kidding me," Jake growled. "When?"

"Well," Aiden said, dragging out the L's and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Yes? Tell me already, damnitt!"

"I was sixteen, Dad," Ravyn said absentmindedly, strolling in to grab a coke from the fridge and he walked back out and into the living room.

"Dad?"

I looked up at the archway to see a very confused Wyatt holding hands with a very pissed off Mac. Ravyn froze halfway into the living room, and he turned back around as Wyatt looked bewildered and ticked off. Guess he doesn't like being out of the loop.

_~Mac's POV~_

My dad is really annoying. I'm eighteen, not a flipping invalid. We really weren't going to do anything… at least, I don't think we were going to. But with him, I would lose track of time, only being consumed with my desire for his lips to be on mine. The way he kissed me, took away my sensibility. He made me want to lose all my inhibitions.

I loved my dad, really, I did, but he was too protective. Too overbearing when it came to Wyatt and I. I was his imprint, and vice versa. This was entirely ridiculous, for my dad to think that we were irresponsible. If I remember correctly, my parents didn't wait till marriage. My mother was younger then me, seven if we wanted to be technical. Isn't that illegal?

Wyatt and I wouldn't go down that route, at least, the pregnant in high school route. I wasn't even sure I could have kids. And we haven't talked about anything and I refuse to have sex with him until I can tell him 'I love you' and that I'm a mythical werewolf who preys on vampires, which just so happens to be my family.

"Is this really you?" Wyatt asked, gazing at a picture hanging on the wall in the living room.

I grimaced, taking in my pigtails and lack of two front teeth. Braiding my hair when I was six was the only way to get the curls from knotting when I would play with my brothers.

Wyatt grinned and kissed my forehead tenderly. "Don't be embarrassed, MacKayla. You were adorable," he assured me.

"Adorable, mm-h-mm," I mumbled fiddling a little with the piano.

Wyatt gave me a little glare at my low self-esteem, but who would have a high one when you lived with perfection? There's Bella, who, in my opinion, has been pretty her entire life, then Alice, who kind of looks like a black-haired Tinker Bell, and of course, Rose. Rose is total flawlessness, right down to the red painted toes. Whenever she enters a room, she doesn't just turn heads, she breaks necks. And she loved the attention, especially because Emmett is extremely possessive.

"Isn't that your brother and sister, Jake and Nessie?" Wyatt asked, referring to the day I was born. It was a picture of my mom holding me, Aiden, and Ravyn in the hospital with dad leaning beside the bed to smile at the camera.

I blanched and took the picture from its resting place on the mantle where a nice fire was growing strongly and held it tightly against my chest. "No, those are my… real birth parents…" Of course, no one in this house changes their looks, since no one grows old. Shit, I needed to tell him soon.

I almost pissed my pants just at the thought.

"Are you thirsty? My mother is cooking ham, so we're not allowed to eat anything, but I'm sure you want something to drink. Sorry I didn't offer you anything earlier, but –"

Wyatt placed a finger on my lips to silence my panicky rambling. "I would love something to drink," he murmured, pressing his lips to mine.

As we walked by the couch, I put the picture face down on the couch discreetly and prayed he didn't sit there before someone could grab it. _Ravyn can grab it_, I thought, glancing at the television which was on. He had been watching _South Park _just a minute ago_, _now where did he go?

"I was sixteen, Dad," I heard Ravyn say as he left the kitchen, a can of coke in his hand.

"Dad?" Wyatt muttered, looking into the room where Leah, Aiden, and my… father were all sitting.

Could my family make this any harder on me?

_~Wyatt's POV~_

"Dad?"

I was so confused. I thought they were siblings. I glanced down at Mac and knew. She was keeping something from me. And by the way she glared at a frozen Ravyn, Aiden, Leah, and Jacob, I realized it was big.

"Mac, why did Ravyn call his brother dad?" I asked her softly so the others wouldn't hear. They stiffened though, as if they could.

She tried to shrug nonchalantly, but I saw the fear in her eyes as she looked up at me. "Maybe Carlisle was in here but we didn't see him."

"Cut the crap, Mac, I know when you lie to me. What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered and I watched everyone get up and leave the room so that we were alone.

"MacKayla, why have you been stuttering over names…" I said, suddenly realizing the last time she did it. "You called your brother 'dad' tonight, didn't you?"

She fidgeted nervously, a bead of sweat breaking out on her forehead. "No, I called him Jacob," she replied.

I growled. "I'm getting tired of this, Mac."

"How about we go outside?" she suggested and her voice was taking on a side of her I wasn't used to which was anger. She left the room for a moment, her body suddenly shaking. From nervousness or frustration, I wasn't sure.

She came back holding my coat that Esme had hung in the closet for me when I had walked in. She tossed me my flannel jacket, red and black plaid with the familiar black canoe shaped buttons. "What is this for?" I asked, my voice clipped from my irritation.

"What the fuck does it look like, Parker?" she growled at me, her form shaking uncontrollably.

I was shocked. Not once, had MacKayla ever used my last name and sailor's choice of words with me. I was scared. Like, really scared, and I sure as hell didn't exactly enjoy being afraid of my girlfriend.

"Follow me," she ordered, stomping off in the direction of the front porch.

Her walk was graceful like normal and as I slipped on the warm, musky scented jacket, I watched her methodic movement. A tinge of trepidation danced along my spine as we walked out the front door and onto the newly fallen snow.

The snow had descended more heavily once we had gotten inside, after I had arrived and blatantly admired the sleekly shiny Maybach. Mac moved eerily silent through the thickening snow that was pelting the ground, layering it in the downy soft blanket. She wasn't wearing anything besides a pair of jeans tucked into black Uggs, and a thin Dartmouth sweater that was too small for her. I was too far behind to see if she was cold, but I took the shivers and quivering as the answer.

She stopped abruptly when we reached a small clearing at the back of her large house. Her back was to me, and a couple of feet separated us. I didn't like the taste of the distance between us. It was bitter on my tongue and I wanted nothing more then to run up and gather her in my arms. Hold her to me and pretend that her family was normal. But they were far from normal. Calling each other mom and dad when they were brothers and sisters… that cannot be healthy. Then again, getting beat to a pulp by your mother isn't exactly healthy either.

Finally, staring at the trembling body who stood too far away from me, I couldn't take it anymore. I unbuttoned my coat and slipped it from my shoulders. The arctic temperature hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking the air from my lungs and I gulped rapidly, my teeth beginning to chatter, the hair on my skin rising, my body suddenly shaking, trying to warm itself from the biting cold of the winter air.

Mac whirled around. Just as she were about to speak, I cut her off, trying not to sound like a total pansy in my knight in shinning armor moment. "Take this." I handed her the jacket but her arms and feet didn't move her from her spot where she was rooted.

"The cold doesn't bother me," she growled. "Put the damn thing back on before you die of hypothermia. But if that doesn't kill you first, I will."

My eyes narrowed on her face. "Mac, it's cold out. I'm wearing more clothes than you at the moment."

She stepped back from me, adding more distance between us. My heart was beginning to shatter. "Put it the fuck back on, Parker."

Sighing dejectedly, I put it on and fumbled with the buttons, the shaking of my fingers not allowing me the ability to slip a damn button through a fucking hole.

Then, MacKayla was in front of me. She slapped my hands away, hers warm, like she always was, and she buttoned up my jacket, muttering a few choice words that sounded like "Idiot," and "Dumbass," and my all time favorite "Caveman."

I stared at her the whole time, ignoring her feeble attempts to glare up at me. When she had the last button done, her hands were suddenly sliding around my neck slowly, her toasty warm fingers gliding and drawing patterns on the skin there. I couldn't hold it in a moment longer.

"Why are you always so warm? No matter what the temperature is. And don't give me that crap answer you used the last time I asked. Give me the truth. Do you do drugs?"

A laugh bubbled up and out of her throat, but it was small, bitter. She flung herself away from me and the cold bit at the once warmed flesh of my nape. Her eyes turned vulnerable. "I don't do drugs, though that rumor started the minute we moved here. We don't use nor sell drugs, Wyatt. I swear."

I stared at her, waiting slightly impatiently, wanting an answer from her.

She turned from me then, her face looking up as the snow fell from the high heavens. "I…" she trailed off, her voice a mere whisper in the stillness of the night. She turned back around, tears glistening on her cheeks. Her eyes went down cast though. "I don't know how to tell you…"

I broke. Right there. Every irritation I had felt with the secrets, with the many unanswered questions didn't matter. She was all I had, besides my sister, and seeing her sad, seeing her heartbroken hurt. It hurt deep down in a place that I had never really acknowledged before. I ran to her and pulled her into my arms, her tears wetting and dampening my coat.

"I don't want to lose you."

It was so quiet I wasn't quite sure that I had heard it right. But the only thing I could hear besides us was the snow landing gently on trees and grass, flowers and people. I held her tighter against me.

"I'm not going anywhere. No matter what it is you have to tell me, I'm not going anywhere," I vowed.

She pushed herself slightly away from me, her eyes wet, vulnerable, and sadness echoed in their green depths. She looked at the ground. "I-I…" she trailed off yet again before finally looking up at me, snow mingling with her tear streaked cheeks. "Wyatt, I'm a werewolf."

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**Oooo! Cliffy! Review and I'll update faster! =]**

**Oh and I posted pictures of the cars, as well as the house (but for the house, just pretend that it's three stories) on my profile so go check it out, will ya?**


	9. My Ducky, My Two Socks

**Sorry about the wait, life is kind of sucking at the moment. **

**I have a **_Dnaces with Wolves_** refrenece in here, so if i get it wrong tell me. I haven't seen the movie, my parents had brought it up last night and I realized it would fit perfectly into the story. =] Enjoy even though it's short.**

**Thanks for the reviews by the way! I know you guys hated the cliffy but I couldn't resist. xD**

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Chapter 9 – My Ducky, My Two Socks

_"I don't want to lose you."_

_It was so quiet I wasn't quite sure that I had heard it right. But the only thing I could hear besides us was the snow landing gently on trees and grass, flowers and people. I held her tighter against me._

_"I'm not going anywhere. No matter what it is you have to tell me, I'm not going anywhere," I vowed._

_She pushed herself slightly away from me, her eyes wet, vulnerable, and sadness echoed in their green depths. She looked at the ground. "I-I…" she trailed off yet again before finally looking up at me, snow mingling with her tear streaked cheeks. "Wyatt, I'm a werewolf."_

_~Wyatt's POV~_

You know, there are times in life when you just can't believe something happened. Like, when you're watching a football game and it's the Super Bowl, one team is completely undefeated all season, but then they lose to the team that isn't undefeated, the underdogs if you will. You can't help but sit there for a minute, all quiet, and tell your brain, _that totally _just_ happened_. Since it was so probable they would win, losing just wasn't even an option.

Yeah, right then was one of those times.

See, I have this really great girlfriend. It's comfortable around her, like sitting in front of a fire and watching the ember burn brightly, feeling all kinds of safe and protected. I can talk to her about anything, and for however long we want to, because it's just easy like that. I have to hold her hand because touching her makes my skin burn (no pun intended.) I have to see her and remind myself that this all isn't a dream, that guys like me can so get girls like her.

And when you have a girlfriend like that, you have to be supportive of her and her beliefs.

So I stare at her for about ten seconds before bursting out into laughter.

Because sometimes, you can't always be supportive of their beliefs. Especially when you're super, awesome, extra spectacular girlfriend just told you she was a werewolf.

Mac pulled herself out of my arms and walked backwards, looking out into the forest lining her property. She was shaking dangerously and the look on her face, like someone had died, had me sobering instantly.

I didn't believe in things like magic, and werewolves, and vampires, or fairy's and gnomes, and zombies. Stuff like that, it doesn't exist. We don't live in Disneyland or Never Never Land. We live in the horrid world of reality. And if Mac really believed she was some huge furry animal, then I wouldn't hesitate in getting help for her.

She began wiping furiously at her cheeks and eyes, shaking so bad she accidently jabbed her eyes a few times and muttered very unladylike curse words.

I wasn't sure how to approach this situation. I knew she was hurting over the fact that I didn't believe her, but she needed someone to tell her this fantasy of hers wasn't real. Especially if her parents indulged her little fairytale trips.

"Mac… come here, let me hold you," I whispered, holding my hand out to her.

She stared at it speculatively, as if she was waiting for me to run at any second. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question, merely a statement of fact. And her deadpan tone chilled me to the bone more then the coldness of the air.

"Mac, please," I pleaded, watching as she began trembling even more so.

She shook her head and looked back at the forest. "You don't believe me. But I know a way to make you."

Before I could contradict, she darted in between some trees so fast she was a blur. I blinked rapidly, trying to understand, but I didn't have time because I heard a whining, like a dog in pain. And I wasn't all too keen on the whole wild wolves thing. I was so not a _Dancing with Wolves_ person and didn't need a Two Socks following me around.

I looked over just as a large, snow white… thing emerged from the forest. It was at least seven and a half feet of pure muscle and strong jaws and legs. Its muzzle was down, its ear pressed against its skull and its tail was tucked between the ginormous hind legs.

I stumbled backwards but tripped on a rock or a log or something, I don't remember. I landed on the snow hard enough to cringe and the wolf was immediately at my side, nuzzling my ribs with its huge head.

I stared at the… thing… scared and a little… mystified. I knew that I was supposed to run, 'cause I _was_ scared, however, at the same time, I felt safe. It was then, when I realized I wasn't so much as terrified as awed by its beauty, I was struck by the eye color of the wolf/horse/bear creature. Wolves, from what I learned on the Animal Planet, where a dark brown color, kind of like Hayden and Devin's eyes. But this wolf's were… emerald green. Leaf green, grass green, _MacKayla_ green.

"Mac?" I raised a trembling hand towards the animal and it laid down beside me so I was able to reach its soft fur.

A loud rumble, almost like a purr erupted from the animal – Mac – as I rubbed it's – her – ears.

Perplexed, I traced my hand down the muzzle and she nuzzled my palm like she would when we were together.

"Not that you aren't beautiful or anything, but is there a possibility that you could change back into my MacKayla? It would be nice to talk to her," I said softly, rubbing her ears again.

The animal rolled her eyes and darted back to the trees. A second or so later, Mac emerged, her eyes a little nervous yet happy at the same time. She walked towards me and reached out with her hand. I took it and let her pull me up to my feet so I wasn't sitting on the frozen ground. My ass however, was drenched, but that was a whole 'nother story.

"I'm not a retard, you know," she muttered almost teasingly, but the tension in her body told me she wasn't as relaxed as she wanted to play off as.

I tentatively reached out and traced her cheekbone with a shaky finger. "So you're really a… werewolf, huh?"

She looked up at me through wet lashes and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I am."

I dropped my hand and ran it through my hair. "Wow, and here I thought I wasn't a Two Socks kind a guy," I mumbled beneath my breath.

"Two Socks?" Mac asked.

"You know, _Dances with Wolves_, that Kevin Costner movie. The confederate solider is left with Indian's and he's followed by this wolf he later names Two Socks because the wolf's front feet were white. Your front feet are a light brown. Two Socks."

She smiled up at me. "Your taking this better then I thought. It wasn't until after I had phased that I realized I might scare you."

I smiled crookedly. "Oh, trust me you did. But I felt oddly safe around you, and your green eyes were comfortable. I love your eyes."

"I have a lot of stuff to tell you," she said.

"I figured as much, but can we go someplace warmer? It's kind of cold out here."

She grinned up at me. "Oh, right. Sometimes I forget you human's get cold easily."

I cocked an eyebrow at her words. "Mac," I murmured as she led me away from the house, "how old are you? Really. You're not like, older then me, are you?"

She interlaced our fingers together and the warmth of her palm warmed my frozen hand. "No, at least I don't think I'm older then you. I'm eighteen. We went to kindergarten, but I have very protective brothers." At this point, she had brought me to the six-car garage and began working the padlock on the side door. It looked state of the art. "When a bully was picking on me while we were playing during recess, Aiden and Ravyn phased, nearly killing the child. Carlisle had to move us and my parents never let us go back to school until now."

She opened the door after doing a series of different combinations. Warm air hit me as the door swung open and I nearly ran inside, taking my coat off and laying it on a workbench. I turned around and felt my jaw go slack as I stared at the inside. It might have six garage doors, but it was deeper then it looked from the outside. There were a total of nine cars and two motorcycles not to mention four ATVs and three dirt bikes. The less expensive car was probably the Volvo or the Cadillac. The Mustang, maybe, but it looked original. There was a red, racy Ferrari, and a white Lamborghini Spyder, a red BMW, a black Mercedes, and a Mercedes Guardian in sleek black. There was a red orange Indian next to a shinny Sportster with handlebars that were barley legal.

"Wow," I breathed.

Mac rubbed the back of her neck and walked slowly towards where I was standing. "Yeah. We're… pretty wealthy."

"Do you guys steal from banks or something?" I asked in a breathy voice so she would know I was teasing. I looked at from the corner of my eyes just incase.

She smiled slightly so I knew she understood what I meant. "No, but I'm not sure your ready for the full truth of everything," she whispered, staring into my eyes.

I turned towards her and tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear. "I totally just went face to face with a werewolf, Two Socks. I think I can face everything you have to tell me."

She rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you aren't going to start calling me Two Socks," she said dryly.

"Oh, I am. It's a cute nickname for you." I kissed her nose playfully.

She eyed me skeptically. "Why are you taking all of this so easily?" she asked.

I stood back on my heels, thinking about it. I honestly didn't know how I was taking all this so easily, but thinking she was insane, thinking I was insane, thinking this _whole_ situation was insane, felt wrong. Because I knew that if I truly felt that way, I would be running away and never, ever see her again. Just the thought tore my heart from my chest. I had to take this in stride, or it would feel unnatural to not trust her.

"I think," I said, "that I've always believed that you were some fairytale creature. Like if I were to pinch myself, you would disappear. But it all makes sense now. All those times you would act weird, all those times I would catch you doing nothing but you acted as if I just saw you snorting coke. Deep down, I'm pretty sure I knew already knew that you weren't really human. Is that weird?"

She shook her head. "No, I understand what you mean."

I cupped her face with my palm. "So, will you tell me the whole truth?"

She sighed and reached up to hold my hand to her face before turning her head and kissing the center of my palm. "I don't want you to be scared of me," she whispered.

"I won't be. There is nothing you can say that will have me retreating with my tail between my legs, no pun intended." I smirked.

She went over and sat on a four-wheeler. I sat down beside and let her play with my fingers as she spoke. "It's a long story," she warned.

"I've got time," I said, kissing each one of her fingertips, waiting for her to go on, urging her silently to trust me like I was trusting her.

She took a deep breath. "Carlisle isn't my father nor did he adopt me. He's my great grandfather. And it all started with him. See, he was born back in the mid sixteen hundreds to a priest of a father. His father, well, he hunted vampires. One night, Carlisle was bitten by a real one and hid himself in potatoes for the three days it takes for the human body to absorb all the venom. On the third day, your heart will finally stop, and you are basically the undead. Carlisle learned that he could drink the blood of the animals rather then the blood of human, for he could never take the life of a human.

"After two century's of studying medicine in Italy he decided to become a doctor. See, he feels at peace at the hospital." She paused to take a breath and I used that as an opportunity to quest my thirst for knowledge on vampires.

"He's a _vampire_!?" I squeaked.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "I told you that you weren't ready for the truth of all this," she muttered, her voice wavering slightly.

"No, I am, it's just… wow. That's all, wow. Wait, so if he isn't your father, then who is?" I asked, my brows furrowing.

She laughed lightly. "I'm getting there. So, it took Carlisle years to ignore the call of human blood. But he did it. He was working in Chicago when the Spanish Influenza hit in 1919. Edward Anthony Masen and his mother Elizabeth were sick, and they had already lost Edward Sr. to the flu when Elizabeth had begged Carlisle to change Edward, to save her baby. To save him in anyway possible. Carlisle, by that point in his long existence, was lonely. He was at the hospital more then he should to pass off as human but he couldn't go home to an empty house, an empty life.

"After Elizabeth died that night, he warred with himself over changing Edward. But he could see Edward's life draining from his very face and the decision was made. He changed Edward. Over the years, Edward had to master the art of mind reading. See some vampires have special gifts –"

"He can read my mind?!" I yelled getting off the ATV and pacing before her. He was hearing everything I had ever thought about, my mother, Mac… Everything. He knew everything.

"Yes," Mac murmured, a crease marring her brows. "He can, but he tunes them out in respect to the person's privacy," she tried to reassure me.

I sat back down, breathing hard. "I overreacted, didn't I?" I placed my hand back in hers.

"No, you didn't. Would you like for me to go on?" When I nodded, she said, "So Edward could read minds. They moved to Ashland where Carlisle found Esme Platt nearly dead after she tried to commit suicide. She lost her child and her husband was very abusive, so she jumped from a cliff. Carlisle had treated her when she was sixteen for a broken ankle and had never forgotten her, so to see her dying in the morgue where everyone had assumed she had passed on already, was too hard. He changed her, too. They got married not long after. Carlisle changed most of my family. Like Rose who had been left for dead on the street by her fiancé. Emmett, who Rose found in the Appalachian Mountain Range, was being mauled by a bear. They fell in love soon after. Alice and Jasper however… Alice was in a mental institution as a human for seeing images of the future. A vampire changed her after falling in love and learned she was being tracked by another vampire named James. She then found Jasper, who feels emotions of others, and together they found the Cullen's."

"Wow," I breathed when she went to take in a ragged breath.

"I'm not done yet. Years went by and they moved from place to place until 2003 when they settled in Forks, Washington. In 2005, Bella Swan moved to town with her father, Charlie." Mac's eyes were filled with love every time she spoke of Edward and of Bella. "Bella was a human when she and Edward fell in love. Their story is probably the longest, so I won't get into all the details. There were many obstacles that they had to face before getting married in 2006. Over their honeymoon, Bella got pregnant, something no one had seen coming for vampires were impotent. But we all learned that only females were impotent.

"Anyway, the pregnancy was horrific, or so I was told. It lasted a month and almost killed her. But she gave birth to Renesmee, nearly dying in the process, so Edward had to change her by injecting his venom into her bloodstream. Renesmee is half human, half vampire. Jacob was Bella's best friend, a werewolf who Edward hated because he was in love with Bella. Jacob im… he, err, fell in love with Renesmee once she got older and she got pregnant. They got married and had me, Ravyn, and Aiden."

"Wait, he fell in love with Bella but then married her_ daughter_?" What the hell? That's more then a little wrong.

"This isn't coming out right. Ugh. Okay, see Renesmee was full grown by the time she was seven and as long as werewolves keep phasing, their bodies don't grow, which means they don't age, just like vampires. There is this thing that werewolves do and it's called imprinting."

"Like the duckies?" I asked, feeling all kinds of confused.

"Duckies?"

"You know, when the duck is born and the first thing it sees, it believes is its mother. It's called imprinting."

She sighed, agitated. "No, not like duckies. It's like… love at first sight. Like nothing but that one person is the only thing holding you to the Earth. You would do anything for that single person who holds your heart. She or he is your everything.

"Like Leah and Aiden -- Leah was part of Jake's pack, and when Aiden was born, she imprinted on him. Now their engaged."

"But he was a baby!" I yelled. This whole day was the weirdest day I had ever had.

She ran a hand over her forehead. "I told you before –"

"That I wasn't ready for the truth. Yeah, I know, but you would've had to tell me sooner or later."

She sighed again. "So, anyway… here we are. Jake and Nessie are my… parents."

I flew off the quad again. "Wow! That's why he hates us together! Oh my _GOD!_ He's been catching us all those times and I just thought he was like, really protective but he's you FATHER!"

Mac twiddled her thumbs. "Yeah, I'm getting pretty pissed at him over that. He needs to trust me more."

"My God, he's going to murder me!"

"Okay, now you are overreacting," she muttered glaring at me.

"Right, sorry." I ran a hand through my hair for the millionth time that day. I sat back down. "So, I'm your imprint, huh?" I guessed picking up her hand.

She stared at me wide eyed and jumped off the ATV, pacing before me. She was shaking again. "How did you know?" she asked, stopping before me

"Because what you described is how I feel about you." I grabbed her hand and yanked her to me, spreading my legs so she could stand between them. I placed my hands on her hips as she looked like she was about to continue.

"This is… this feeling, having you know what I am, it's like a weight has been lifted off my chest. God, Wyatt, I don't get you. How can you take this so…" she trailed off, her eyes wild.

"Because," I began, rubbing her hips and trailing a hand up to cup her cheek, bringing her gaze to mine. "Because I love you. Everything about you. I know if I was some… hobbit thing you wouldn't run away. I refuse to run away just because you're something I don't even fully understand yet. You can't control what you're born into, and there is nothing that could make me not like you, not trust you. Right now, I am a little freaked out and feel like I have a hangover but as long as we're still together, I couldn't care less."

Her eyes were misting and I knew she hated to cry, and she had cried so much before, outside. I leaned up and brushed my lips to both her eyelids and then her cheeks, kissing her tears away. "Don't cry, Two Socks. I love you so much; it hurts to see you cry."

A hysterical sob wrenched through her and she kissed me so deeply that by the time she pulled away I was ready to strip her naked and ravish her on the cement floor of the garage. "I love you!" she screamed. "I love you, I love you, I _love_ you! You don't understand how you make me feel! I'm not fully human, so you're bringing out all these emotions, all these feelings. I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much that I want to tell you everything! I love you… so much…" she trailed off as I kissed her.

She was my everything. I really didn't care what she was, because on the inside, she was still my MacKayla. She was still the girl of my dreams, someone I could never leave. She healed me when I was hurt, she loved me when I had no reason to deserve her. And hearing her mutter, "I love yous" between kisses was music to my ears. Because I wanted to hear it for all eternity.

"I don't want to go back inside," I said after a few minutes.

"Me either," she agreed, attacking my lips with hers. "I love you," she said on a sigh.

"I love you two," I breathed.

"My little ducky," she whispered against my lips.

I raised a brow at her and she grinned, nipping my lower lip with her teeth.

"If you call me Two Socks, then I can you ducky," she declared.

"Fine Two Socks," I said playfully.

"Fine Ducky," she mocked, kissing me deeply.

I'm her ducky and she's my Two Socks. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

_~Mac's POV~_

He loves me. He _loves_ me. He loves _me_. HE LOVES ME! I wanted to scream it out to the world. He was my everything. My imprint, my ducky. I loved him so much that I wasn't sure if I was going to combust or if I was going to cry at the pleasure of knowing how he feels about me. Knowing that he isn't in the dark about what I am.

_Aww! Mackie is in l-o-v-e, love! _Ravyn said in a sing-songy voice.

_Ravyn, shut up, your ruining the moment. I'm proud of you Mac, for trusting him with what we are, and I'm sorry we didn't hide it as well as we had promised._

_Aiden, its fine. I love you guys, you do know that right?_

_Aiden! Quick, she's sick; she just said she loved us! Do CPR!_

_Ravyn, incase you haven't noticed, your pissing her off. Shut the hell up! _Aiden growled.

I smirked. I really did love them even though I currently wanted to throttle Ravyn.

"What are you smiling at?" Wyatt asked, sucking on my lower lip.

I moaned a little before answering. "Just my brothers."

He pulled back. "You think about your brothers while we make out?" he asked, perplexed.

"No! Oh, I forgot to tell you that part. As wolves, when we're in that form, we can read the other's mind. But Ravyn, Aiden, and I can read minds as humans too. They were just congratulating me."

"You guys can read each other's minds?" he repeated slowly.

I nodded, apprehensively. "But we can turn it on and off."

"Wow," he said. I couldn't count how many times he's said that.

"Wow, all you can say is wow?"

"Pretty much, yeah. It's a little weird, you have to admit."

I laid my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. "Yeah, but I'm used to it."

"We should probably go inside for dinner now," he murmured after a moment, rubbing circles on my lower back while I circled shapes on his pectoral.

"Yeah, I suppose so," I agreed, getting up and pulling him with me. When we reached the side door, I pulled him to a stop before we opened it and stepped out into the snowy night. "I love you," I whispered, kissing his stubbly jaw.

"I love you more," he answered.

"Not possible," I said, finding his lips with mine. "Not possible."

He pulled back, a crooked smile on his lips. "I don't know about that Two Socks."

"I do, Ducky," I said and kissed him again, willing for him just to give in.

"Hmm," he groaned, pushing me against the cold door but I couldn't care. "I love your lips."

"That's good to know," I said on a moan as he slid his hand down to my neck, his palm against my pulsating jugular. "I love yours too."

I felt him smile against my lips and he pulled back. "Time to go eat, I can hear your stomach rumbling."

"You can not," I said, pulling his lips back to mine. My stomach rumbled and he chuckled. "Okay, so I am hungry."

"C'mon, it's time to feed the wolf," he breathed against my lips and opened the door pulling me into the cold air.

But with him, no matter the temperature, no matter if I'm cold; with him, I'll always be warm.

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**Review! **


	10. You and I

**Okay so here it is, the real chapter ten.**

**And to those wondering were the other one went, I do not like author's notes on my site. And to those who actually read my authors note, I am happy to announce the person who had said all those harmful and vindictive things has been removed from the site, as well as all the reviews she had left on Daddy's Little Cannibal's stories. No other needs to be brutalised in that many, dead or otherwise.**

**So without further adiue, I give you Mac and Wyatt...**

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Chapter 10 – You and I

_~Mac's POV~_

"Oops, I forgot my jacket," Wyatt murmured, quickly jumping inside the garage and coming back out with that ratty old flannel coat. His hand found mine, his so cold that I quickened our strides.

"Mac," he said, "exactly how warm are you?"

"Uhh, I would say around 106.7 Fahrenheit, why?" I took his hand into both mine and rubbed them vigorously.

"Seriously? And what about when you get sick?"

"We don't get sick. Due to the high temperatures we have, we burn off viruses before they can really infect us," I answered, his hand warming at my touch.

"You… are so unreal," he responded somewhat dumbfounded.

I laughed as we reached the back porch. I pushed the sliding door open to the kitchen and was greeted with Ravyn making kissy faces at us while Aiden shook his head and Leah just snickered, knowing what was about to occur.

"Wyatt and Little Mac sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-G!" he emphasized the 'g' and before he could continue, I lifted my hand and slammed the freezer into the back of his head. I didn't need the hand, no, but it made it more dramatic. I sometimes used to say _abracadabra_ as well.

"Ahhh!" he groaned, palming the back of his head.

"What – how – Mac?" Wyatt stammered.

I turned around to see an astounded Wyatt and realized what I had omitted unconsciously from him. "Oh, right. Remember how I said some vampires are special and have powers?" I waited until I got a nod out of him before I continued. "Okay, and you know that I am half vampire, right? Even though they seem to be recessive genes." He nodded again. "Okay, well I have telekinesis and I'm an empath. I can feel emotions but cannot project them like Jasper. I can just feel them. I turn that one on and off but if I get out of control it causes me to normally blackout from the onslaught."

"So you can move things with your mind?" His eyes were wide and I was feeling all kinds of emotions rolling off him.

"Yeah. Remember the time we were at the library? Well, I was in the process of retrieving my hairbrush but I was tired so it came to me slowly and I wasn't exactly paying attention. When I saw you I panicked and my mind dropped it."

"You know," he muttered after a few seconds of silence, "this explains so much."

It was the kind of awkward silence where everyone started fidgeting nervously and you could hear everything, like the rustle of clothes or the shifting of an impatient foot that was just about to start tapping. I looked up at Wyatt. He was staring at me like I was not meant to exist, like he was mentally telling himself he was dreaming and if he were, to just pinch himself, he could wake up. I used my empath side and 'opened up' to him.

His emotions were all scattered. He was angry, though at what I did not know. He was sad as well, and I had seen, as well as felt it, many times before, where it was misplaced. Like when I had first brought him up to meet my parents, before I gave him the tour. He had closed himself off to me, like shutting a door, and he scrunched himself within, stuck in some place where he was distraught, jaded, and unhappy. Like he was now. For the first time in a long time, I wished I could read minds. Because his was such a mystery to me.

But the most prominent emotion was… jealousy. I cocked an eyebrow and gazed up into his perfect eyes. The eyes that made me weak in the knees, the eyes that threatened the death of me. Especially when he smiled and that blue with the gold flecks and turquoise rim lit up. I reached up and cupped his cheek with my palm. I ran my thumb over his soft lips and they opened, his sweet breath fanning out over my finger.

"Why are you jealous right now?" I whispered, knowing the others would hear, but I hoped he wouldn't realize that fact, particularly if he wanted privacy, which in this family was hard to come by.

His eyes widened ever so slightly and I felt surprise flitter through him before he laughed a little, that uneasy tension suddenly broken. "I forgot you could do that."

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to go on. He coughed a little before he decided to go on and explain his weird human emotions that make no sense to me. "Uh, I guess I would be jealous of the whole… telekinesis thing," he muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand before placing it on my hip and kissing the tip of my nose. "But it's okay. I think that it's just so… 'you' to be able to do that. Because you never cease to astonish me."

I grinned crookedly and leaned into to him so I could kiss him sweetly. All I got, unfortunately, was a little peck, because my brother has this knack for totally pissing me off.

"Dude! We all wish we had her power too! Hmm, for a human, you take things surprisingly well."

"And on that note, you owe me twenty bucks," Aiden announced.

I growled low in my throat and turned around. "You know," I murmured lowly, menacingly, as I stalked my brother until he was pressed up against the fridge, "there is a time and place for everything. And right now, is so not the time to mention bets and interrupt a very nice _private_ moment between me and a certain someone. So guess what? Remember last week when you spilled the whole imprint thing to the pack and I said I would get you back?" I didn't even wait for an answer before I licked my lips and used my mind to lift him up off the ground and toss him to the other side of the room. Gently. "Well, now is the time, Birdie."

"Mac," Edward said lazily, strolling into the kitchen to open up the oven, check on the ham, and place it on the counter to cool. "I really doubt that now is the best time. Dinner is ready and I prefer you not to fight with your brother today of all days. Besides, you have a guest. It's rude to act this way in front of guests," he chided me gently kissing me on the top of the head as he floated right back out the door he had entered.

My cheeks filled with warmth as embarrassment flooded through me and I slowly made my way back to Wyatt who looked amused and a little scared. "Sorry," I apologized quietly and beneath my breath while Aiden and Leah walked out laughing their asses off as Ravyn looked like he just sucked on a lemon head and followed them to the living room.

"It's fine. I thought it was funny," he joked.

"No, you're a little freaked out too," I whispered, afraid of what he would say.

"Well ya, you totally just threw your brother across the room without touching him, but I would've done the same to him had are positions been reversed. I just don't want you doing that to _me_ if we fight," he confessed staring me deeply in the eyes, the sincerity in them making me smile softly at his admission.

"Like I could ever fight you. You're my imprint."

"You're going to have to explain the whole imprint thing a little more later, Two Socks," he informed me.

It was then that I realized I had somewhat been vague on the details of my life. His reaction had been a frightening image in my mind, totally eclipsing my smart and extremely articulate cerebral cortex. Thus explaining the gist of everything to him in a quick rush of an explanation.

But, really. Who would've anticipated his reaction? Telling me he loved me… was sooooo not what I had envisioned in my mind. More like him getting up and screaming "What the fuck! You freak! Don't ever come near me again!", then running away, and never speaking to me again. Hence, why I was so scared to tell him from the beginning. Humans are odd creatures. And my Homo sapian is no different. However, after tonight, I would say he was.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. "I promise I won't withhold the information back any longer, now that I know your response will be much more amiable than the previous popular consensus."

He gripped my hips loosely and I felt him slide his mouth to my ear. "I love your vocabulary," he purred, gently biting my earlobe.

I tried not to moan, but I think I only somewhat masked it, because it came out in a garbled, "Hmmm." For once in my life, I loved how tall I was. Friggin' six foot one, and Wyatt being six foot five, I was always at mouth-to-mouth level. We didn't have to do some fricken' amazing yoga moves just to kiss, which was nice when I wanted to sneak up on him and give him a surprise known as my tongue.

I heard Edward mutter a curse word under his breath as Wyatt and I started going at it like horny teenagers in the kitchen. Well, okay, so we _we're_ horny teenagers, but still…

"_Mac!_" Edward hissed beneath his breath, quietly so that everyone but Wyatt could hear, a sound of irritation soon following.

_Sorry Edward. I'm just so happy!_

Just then, as Wyatt's hand had begun moving south in the direction of my ass, my father walked in and ruined everything. Mostly because Wyatt knows that is my dad and that my dad had just caught us necking in the kitchen.

Wyatt instantly jumped away from me, but because giddiness has this thing with changing me and making me horny, I just had to suck on his lower lip as he went, making him eye me before he slid his gaze to my father.

I sighed and turned to face my father too. "We need to talk. Now." I stressed the 'now' and his eyes widened ever so slightly before narrowing into slits.

"Oh? Really? Because I was just happening to think the very same thing," he muttered calmly. But I knew him well enough to know that he was anything but calm. "Excuse us, Wyatt, though I will be talking with you as well."

"I would expect nothing less, sir," Wyatt said nonchalantly and I can't help but gawk at him.

Then, as if I were six again that had just gotten caught stealing the candy at the grocery store, he griped my upper arm tightly and dragged me outside, where Wyatt wouldn't be able to hear us.

"Dad!" I protested loudly. "I am not a child!"

"Hmm, you sure act like one!" he shot back and I flinched involuntarily.

"Jacob Black, let go of my daughter this instant," a voice seethed.

My dad froze, a look of utter horror dawning his features before his grip suddenly slipped from my bicep and pinched the bridge of his nose, his reaction to stress. "Nessie, please, you know I didn't mean what I said earlier –"

"I didn't even mention it," she snapped, walking towards us from where she had leaped out the study window to save me from my father's wrath. "And she's right; she isn't our little girl anymore. You need to respect that."

I gaped at my mother. When had she learned to be this forceful? Definitely need to give her props later. She slid a glance at me.

"Don't think I'm letting you get off the hook, MacKayla," she told me and I felt all my hope die right then and there. Kinda like a fire that was burning brightly until someone poured a bucked of water on it. I sighed dejectedly and leaned against the railing of the deck to listen to my parents bicker like an old married couple. But it soon turned to heated arguments, unlike the playful banter I had grown up accustomed to.

"How dare you embarrass her in front of her imprint!" my mother reprimanded my father.

"Well, if you weren't going to stop them, then I sure as hell was!" he yelled back.

I took this moment to very inconspicuously sneak out of their view and towards the side of the house heading for the front door. I could still hear my mother.

"Don't you dare insinuate that I don't know how to take care of my children!"

I frowned and opened the front door, tuning out their fight. My parents never really fought, not to the point where everything said was meant, and this whole thing was scaring me.

_~Jake's POV~_

"I wouldn't have to insinuate if you were doing your job!"

I hated this. The fighting. We shouldn't be fighting. I loved her, she was my imprint, my soul mate, yet here we were, screaming at each other like we disliked the other's presence. This felt wrong. So, so, _so _wrong! All I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and kiss her everywhere, tell her how much I love her. That there isn't a single day that goes by, let alone a single minute, where her image is not in my brain, where her angelic voice isn't ringing in my ears, or when her sweet scent isn't invading my nose, her touch not branded on my skin like a tattoo that never looses its burn.

Nessie's eyes were a smoldering brown narrowed into slits positioned on my face that I'm sure mirrored her expression of extreme distaste. Though, mine was in the situation, hers probably with me.

"I cannot believe you! They were not going to start going at it in the kitchen with everybody home and listening! If you don't trust your daughter, how do you expect her to ever listen to you!"

"If we don't instill that sex isn't important then we can't derail them from it in the future. I never said they were going to do it right then and there, but they need to learn – "

"Learn what?" she interrupted me. "That having children at a young age, early on into a relationship is so bad? Hmm, well, look at where we are now. Maybe what happened was a mistake and we rushed into things too fast, but Jake, she isn't us. She's going to make her _own_ mistakes, and using us as an example isn't the proper way to help the situation. We just need to tell her to practice safe sex and it's her own life from then on. She's an adult after all."

Shit, that stung. I stared at Nessie, tears forming in the corners of her eyes and I slowly approached her. "Nessie…" I croaked out, feeling my own tears gather.

She buried her face in my chest and sobbed. I cradled her head to me with my hand and let my tears fall into her hair as I rested my forehead on the top of her head. "What happened to us?" she moaned, her voice cracking and wavering precariously on the edge of hysteria.

"I think we've come to realize our children don't need us anymore," I replied, my own voice cracking and wavering as well.

She lifted her head and pulled herself out of my arms. "Not just that… us. We aren't as close as we used to be. Can you remember the last time we made love?" she pointed out.

_Fuck_. I counted in my head and winced. "A while," was all I said, the pain in my heart too prominent.

"Yeah, a while." She looked away. "Six months, Jacob. Before then, you would reach for me every single night. At least twice a night and now, there's nothing. We've drifted apart."

My heart stopped in my chest, froze right there. Because there was no way in hell she was going to tell me that we were through. She was my soul mate, my wife! Living without her would be like living without air for my lungs, without water for my body. "Nessie… what are you saying?"

"Maybe… Maybe we need a break. We aren't… seeing eye to eye right now."

She looked up at me and swiped a stray hair from my forehead where it had fallen into my eyes. "Maybe… we need to be by ourselves. I think that we need space."

No! No, she was not telling me this! I grabbed her hand and held it to my cheek. "No," I said forcefully, pressing her palm harder to my face. "No, don't tell me you still don't feel it! Don't tell me the spark isn't there!"

Tears were streaming down her face, her lips swollen from biting them. She forced her hand to fall form my face. "Jake… that isn't the point. The point is that we c-can't… I can't be a-around you right now. I… I ne-need space. Please."

"Nessie… please… no, you can't do this to me," I pleaded, following as she tried to walk away from me.

"Jake," her voice broke and I ran to her so I could hold her in my arms but Edward was suddenly blocking me.

"You heard her, Jacob. She needs this from you," he said gently, yet forcefully.

Edward turned around and Renesmee flew into his arms, crying so hard she began to hiccup. He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the house leaving me broken in the snow, crying and kneeling on the deck, the pain so real and unbearable I felt like throwing up. I instantly phased and ran into the forest, leaving my disaster behind me.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

The minute Mac walked into the kitchen I knew something was wrong. Her eyebrows were drawn together tightly, her eyes troubled as she nibbled on her lower lip. She walked herself into my arms and they instantly went around her, comforting her any way I could.

"Mac, what is it?" I asked her, running a soothing hand through her curls.

"Can we go somewhere else?" she suggested in a small voice.

"Of course," I answered, letting her lead me out of the kitchen and passed the living room where silence echoed and sad, shocked faces glanced at us as we walked by. It was then I knew something was up. Something big.

Mac led me to a large room that had a couch, a fireplace, a stereo, and a TV with no box, leading me to believe it only played DVDs. The room was painted a soft gold hue, the floor pale oak wood. I closed the door behind us and she instantly pushed me onto the couch, crawled into my lap, and cried against my shoulder.

"It's my fault!" she sobbed uncharacteristically.

I rubbed her back in circles, trying to calm her down. "What is, Mac?" I asked gently.

"My parents! They're fighting because of me! It's all my fault!" she wailed holding onto me so tightly is was somewhat hard to breathe.

"Mac, no, it's not your fault," I reassured her. "For all you know, this has been going on for awhile now."

She lifted her face from my neck and my heart broke at her expression. Her eyes looked at me for a second before they darted to the windows, her mouth forming a small 'o'. "No!" she screamed so loud that I cringed.

"Mac?"

"No," she whispered falling backwards and off my lap, onto the floor. "No…"

I kneeled on the floor and grabbed her face with my hands, forcing her gaze to mine. "Mac," I ordered sternly, "talk to me."

Her eyes were wild. I could tell they were looking at me, but seeing absolutely nothing. "He's l-leaving. My d-dad, he lef-left," she muttered, her eyes so wide, their green depths showed nothing but pain. "He just left my mom, who is crying upstairs in their room."

The door burst open and Aiden and Ravyn walked in, masks of horror on their features.

"Leah went after dad. She's the only one who he'll listen to at this point," Aiden informed us, hugging his younger sister tightly to his chest.

She ripped herself away from him, panting loudly, her eyes filled with rage now. "How could he leave her? How could he do that when she's crying so hard right now?" she demanded.

"She asked for space, Mac," Ravyn said softly, quietly, his eyes a hollow green, expressionless. "When he tried to talk her out of it, Edward was there, reading her mind, and asking him to grant her the small request she had asked of him. He lasted about three seconds after Edward carried her up the stairs before he bolted for the trees."

_Shit_, I thought. It was fucking Christmas. Did they have to do this now?

Mac's eyes went downcast. "They're imprints. Stuff like this just doesn't happen. Not to imprints."

"They've been fighting a lot recently," Aiden informed us. "It was only a matter of time until something like this would happen. But you're right, they are imprints. And this will blow over. I know it."

Mac fell to her knees. I crawled over to her and pulled her into my arms tightly, holding her shaking form to me closely. "How can there be any hope for us when they end up like this in the end?"

I turned to Ravyn and Aiden stiffly. "Can you leave us alone for a little bit?" I asked politely.

They nodded and walked out quickly, wanting to give us some privacy. "Mac, Aiden is right. That picture I saw earlier, they were happy. All marriages, paranormal or not, go through their rough patches, it's normal. No relationship can be perfect forever. Bumps form on the highway making the trip rough, but in the end, everyone gets there safely. I have no doubt in my mind that your parents will work this out and be fine in no time."

She looked up at me and blinked rapidly. "I'm so sorry," she apologized.

I gave her a quizzical look. "For what?" I asked, confused.

"It's Christmas and here I am crying my eyes out. Not to mention the whole 'I'm not human' thing I told you. That came out of left field and I know you feel overwhelmed. Well, at least you should," she said pointedly, glancing at my from beneath her eyelashes.

"It doesn't matter, Mac. Right now, you need me more then my fucking emotions. I really don't care what the hell you are, I still love you. No matter what."

Mac looked away. "My father used to tell my mother that."

I pulled her into my arms. I didn't respond, knowing that she would just contradict everything I said anyway. I rocked her in my arms softly, alternating between rubbing her back and stroking my fingers through her hair. We sat in comfortable silence before I decided we needed a lighter topic.

"Did you know I'm in love with your hair?" I announced after a few minutes of stillness.

I leaned back against the couch as she looked up at me from where she was perched between my thighs, her face before being buried in my chest. She ran a shaky hand through my dark brown locks. "Really? I always used to hate it. When I was little, the only way from keeping my curls from tangling was to braid it." She paused to think. "I love yours too. It's really soft, and in the light it has auburn hues."

"Hmm, I didn't know that. Does it make me look like a chick?" I wrinkled my nose and pretended to be grossed out by the small fact.

She laughed. "You are anything but a girl. Trust me, my hormones remind me every time you look at me."

I paused for a minute, thinking over how I should broach the subject. "Mac, are you a virgin?" I ended up blurting out.

Her eyes widened. "Yes, why?" her voice was small as she spoke those words.

I turned her around in my arms so her back was resting against my front. "Because I want to keep you that way." When she started to get up, I could sense her anger over what I had said. I grabbed her hips and held her to me. "No, wait hear me out. I know what can happen to a relationship after being that intimate too soon, I've seen it happen, and I don't want that for us. Not right now. I don't want to rush into an 'us' especially when I have you right where I want you."

I began to kiss her neck, nibbling and biting as I let her mull over what I had proposed for us. A plan of responsibility for us. I didn't want to rush her, or rush our relationship. Besides, it's obvious her parents are discouraging it. If I could, I would go back in time so that I was a virgin too, but I can't do that. I just have to hope that I'm good enough for her in the end.

She relaxed in my arms and played with my fingers, which were still resting on her waist. "Okay. If you feel that's what we should do, then let's do it," she agreed.

I pulled a hand free from hers and placed it on her cheek where I turned her head so she could look into my eyes. "This isn't about what I want, Mac. If you think that we should just have sex whenever, then that's fine. I was only putting it out on the table."

"I know. I agree with what you said though. I think that maybe we should wait. We've only been going out for a month. Rushing into things isn't really the greatest of ideas."

I kissed her nose. "Have I told you I love you yet?" I asked playfully.

She grinned a little. "Nope," she responded, her mouth popping on the 'p'.

"Hmm, we'll have to fix that then." I leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "I love you, Mac. I really, really do."

"And I love you back."

_~Leah's POV~_

I followed my once former Alpha who was running around in circles. I saw everything play out in his mind. Many different attempts at suicide and ideas to get Renesmee to listen to what he had to say. I would've tried to talk him out of them, but I had already wasted half an hour at the attempt. He wasn't listening to me.

All I could feel was the way his heart was breaking, the feeling of being alone. I knew how that felt. I fucking knew, and yet he wasn't listening to me.

Once he got to a very small town called Castle Rock, I tackled him to the ground. He phased instantly. When he fell to the ground panting, crying, and naked, I phased as well and pulled on shorts and a t-shirt. I untied his jeans and draped it over his hips in respect.

"I ruined it," he moaned, "I always ruin everything. I'm so alone…"

"Jacob Black!" Oooo, that got his attention. Good. "Don't you dare be selfish. You have three fucking kids at home right now, confused as hell as to what happened, Nessie crying her eyes out, Edward conflicted on whether or not to miss you or kill you, Bella worried this is a repeat of before her wedding, and a distraught Esme who had cooked dinner and every wonderful plan she had concocted is ruined. And all you can say is that you're alone?"

He glared at me. "Leah –"

"No." I held up a hand to silence him. "I'm not done yet. She asked for space, the end of the world is not upon you. We survived 2012, we can survive this. No imprint has ever been unloved, nor has any kind of break in the relationship lasted longer then a few days. Listen, you think you feel alone? Remember back in the day, when I really _was_ alone. Not only had I lost my own true love, the guy who had talked to me about babies and marriage, he fell for my fucking cousin who might as well have been my sister. But guess what? I realized I'm not as alone as I felt, and that the world goes on. A broken heart sucks ass, sure, but look where mine got me."

I watched the tears slowly trek down his face and sat beside him, patting his back and softened my tone. "Things will get better. I might not be able to see the future, but I know Renesmee loves you because she wouldn't be taking this so hard if she didn't. Give her what she needs, space. In the end, she'll realize that all she needs is you, and suddenly your back in black, ready to take on the world together. Trust me on this."

He turned his face into my shoulder muffling the words out as he spoke, "I know your right, but the pain I'm feeling right now is totally ignoring any kind of logical thinking my brain is throwing at my heart. Broken hearts tend to be irrational."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I know what you mean," I agreed. After a few minutes and after his crying dried out, I asked, "Want to go home?"

"No."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"We'll go to a diner. This town might be small, but I'm sure it has food."

As we moved east toward the center of the city, we stopped in a small little diner called Hatti's, and by the looks of it, it mostly catered to elderly people.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" a kind older woman asked.

"A table for two," I said politely.

She led us to a table in the small room next to the window, where small flurries of snow where beginning to fall here, whereas before, it was only a tad chilly.

"Are you two new here?" she asked conversationally.

I shook my head. "Just passing through."

"Well, I hope you enjoy the food," she said warmly, smiling genuinely at us before handing us two menus and retreating to a nearby table to check on other patrons.

"Do we even have money?" Jake wondered after a few seconds of flipping through the menu.

I reached into the pocket of Aiden's nylon shorts that I had stolen and tied double over my waist. He always left money in his pockets. I pulled out two twenties, a ten, and three fives. "Yeah," I murmured, "we have money."

_~Mac's POV~_

Dinner was way awkward. Nobody talked and my mother locked herself in her bedroom having Bella bring her a plate of food, though it was futile. Mom never really liked human food much. The vampires sat at the long dinner table in the dinning room with no plates in front of them, no longer having to pretend for Wyatt who kind of looked pale around them.

Aiden had gotten a text message form Leah stating that they were in some town called Castle Rock and that she had no clue when they would be home, but that she had talked some sense into dad. I missed my family. I missed them a lot. I could see the separation take it's toll on the whole family, not just my father and mother, Aiden, Ravyn, and I. It messed with everyone.

Wyatt finally met Charlie, who had attempted to intimidate Wyatt, but I was not surprised when it didn't work. Emmett hadn't even been able to do it, why would Charlie?

Though the tension in the room was palpable, Jasper had calmed us down to numbness and Emmett had helped alleviate the uncomfortable air with a few jokes and innuendos that were highly inappropriate but no one expected Emmett to say something without at least an underlying of explicit meanings.

I couldn't help but notice how Wyatt fit so well with my family. Like he was meant to be here. I remember Bella telling me one day when I was a toddler of the time when she had met the Cullen's for the first time. She had been extremely nervous, wondering if they would like her. She told me with a laugh, that Edward thought it was humorous how she was more worried whether the vampires would like her then if they were going to eat her for lunch.

She told me that even though Rose hadn't wanted her to be there, and that Jasper seemed to be uncomfortable in her presence, she felt at home, like she belonged there. And as the time passed by, she felt more and more at home there then with Charlie. Because the Cullen's were her family.

I looked over at Wyatt, his eyes crinkled in joy, his mouth laughing at something Emmett and Ravyn and Seth had said. Though my inner turmoil was eating at my insides at that point, I still smiled. He had been right. Just because my parents' marriage was on the verge of failing apart in ruins, it doesn't mean that there was no future for us. My future was nothing without him. Everything I thought of, he was there, holding my hand. I knew then that there was no way he would leave me. And I knew there was no way my parents could be separated.

Wyatt looked up at me then from where he was seated across from me. He gave me a toothy grin and reached across the table to take my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. I knew everyone was staring at our joined hands but I couldn't have cared less. Wyatt meant so much to me, that everyone slipped from my view as if we were the only people in the room. Even though I knew Esme was preening in pleasure, Bella was on the verge of vampric crying, Edward was smiling into the back of Bella's hand, Aiden was staring at me and telling me he knew how I felt, and Ravyn was looking away, but I didn't take time to analyze that. Because there was only Wyatt and I in the room.

And it would always be that way from here on end.

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**No flames please! Does it help if I tell you guys that this little outcome was never meant to happen? Nessie begged me to give her what she needed and I'll tell you right now that I tried to tell her "no, that doesn't fit in with my storyline" but once she has her own little life and mind made up, she is as stubborn as her kids.**

**Please review by clicking that little green button below this. I know you wanna...**


	11. Fear

**Okay, so here it is! Woot! And it's only 1 am, my latest update ever, but that's okay, it's not like I need to sleep anyway. I have to say that this chapter was really hard for me to write, especially since I was supposed to be doing my school reading, but really, biographys are boring. But I finally got it done. Even though it pissed of my parents.**

**Song: _Hear You Me_, by Jimmy Eat World. It really helped me to get this done.**

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Chapter 11 - Fear

_~Wyatt's POV~_

After Christmas and the whole breakup fiasco between Jacob and Renesmee, I spent all my free time with Mac. She never wanted to leave my side and I sure as hell wasn't planning on complaining. I was at her house every single day that I could.

I loved her family. They were so welcoming even though they weren't human. Emmett was hilarious, and hard to beat at video games, well, games all together. Jasper was quiet and reserved but he liked to join in on the video games as well. Mac surprised me with her ability at racing. She beat Emmett and gloated about how she had crushed her teacher. Esme was entirely inviting and Carlisle additionally though he spent a lot of time at the hospital due to the accidents caused by icy roads from the winter storm. Edward didn't hang out with us much. He was the dark, brooding type and him and Bella were worried over their daughter's health.

Devin and Hayden fought like an old married couple, though it was comical to watch, it was kinda annoying after a while. And it was then I had first seen Aiden's power. Mac hadn't even told me her brothers could do anything special, but after a day without Leah, Aiden was a loose cannon when it came to his temper. So when he had finally had it with the constent brother bickering, Aiden had ordered the two to not be able to speak for the next hour. And that was even funnier then when they were squabbling. Because all you would see is their mouths moving and then… nothing. It was like something from Harry Potter.

Mac didn't like to talk about it, the split. Whenever I would bring it up, she would go all recluse on me and shut everyone out. Or, that's what I figured she would do. Though she didn't talk about it, she would cling to my arm or my chest, and she would tremble violently, not needing words to express the way her emotions were ruling her consciousness. It was only later that I learned that whenever she would shake like that, that I needed to calm her down. Because it meant she was about to phase into that white wolf I had dubbed my Two Socks.

And because I always went to her house, it meant that she couldn't just ignore it. Whenever Mac offered to go to my house, I made up excuses about why we couldn't. I could tell she knew I was lying with her power, but she never said a word, only glared at me for about five minutes before I would distract her and we would then go to her house. Every day that I went over to MacKayla's, I was certain to make sure that Hailey had somewhere to go. So far, that hadn't been a problem. But I was sure it would be eventually.

We were at her house and I was helping her bake a chocolate cake for dinner. We were baking it from scratch and I was finding out that it takes a seriously long time. When I baked with Hailey, we used the instant bake stuff that was really cheap. I was beating the batter as she sprayed the pan with this nonstick stuff so we wouldn't have to scrub really hard to get it clean afterward.

"Why do we never go to your house?" she blurted out suddenly, blushing slightly. I watched in awe as she moved the can back to the cupboard above the stove in a fluid movement, my eyes catching the sway of her hips and the length of her mile long legs encased in a pair of dark jeans that left nothing to the imagination. Her shirt was a loose black AC/DC band t-shirt with a white long sleeve undershirt beneath it. Though she wasn't wearing anything special, certainly not anything Amber would've been caught wearing, to me, she was the most beautiful creature on the planet.

I sighed, tearing my distracted eyes away from her for a minute not knowing what to say. Unfortunately, I had a girl who can feel emotions. Not always the best thing when you want to hide something from her. She looked up at me, her eyes assessing me and my reaction to her question. I didn't want her to hate me, to leave me. She was the very best part of me. I made a face at the thought of us not being together.

"Why are you so conflicted?" she asked, leaving the pan there and taking the bowl of batter from me to set it on the counter. She took my hands into hers, mine nearly sweating from the warmth but I didn't care. "Wyatt, talk to me."

I stared deeply into her eyes, letting the pleading, bright green orbs drag me into their depth, allowing myself to drown in them. I was so conflicted. I wanted to tell her the truth; I wanted her to be able to save me. But who's to say that she'll respond that way? What if she doesn't want me afterwards? What if she is so absolutely disgusted with me that she can't even stand the sight of me? I decided to go with plan C. Like I always did, and Plan C hadn't failed me yet.

I reached down and scooped some of the chocolate batter onto my index finger. I swiped it down her nose, onto her mouth and drew a heart on her chin.

"I cannot believe you just did that," she muttered teasingly.

"You can't, huh?" I leaned down so my face was closer to hers. "But I know that you don't mind."

Confusion blanketed her eyes until they were replaced by the intense lust I was throwing at her. "What makes you say that?" she breathed. Her eyes were glazing over, her breath pouring out of her slightly open mouth in fast succession as she let my own passionate emotions take her over.

"This." I leaned all the way down and slowly, sensually, licked the cake batter off her nose. I followed the trail down, taking my time, teasing her, enjoying the flavor and her undignified moans. By the time I had reached her lips, she was panting and grabbing my shoulders for support. I licked her lips, not allowing us to kiss even though she was trying to push her face up to mine. Finally, after all the teasing I could handle, my lips attacked hers. Her fingers slipped up into my hair and she held my face to hers tightly as if she couldn't get enough.

I licked her bottom lip, begging for entrance. With a low moan she opened. I almost screamed when I felt her tongue lick the remaining chocolate out of my mouth. I cupped her cheek with my hand and dipped her head back for a better angle, stabbing my tongue into her mouth. She moaned loudly and I knew the others could hear but I couldn't have cared less. To my complete surprise, she hoped up onto the countertop and pulled me in between her legs, wrapping hers around my waist.

I left her lips when we had to breathe and licked my beautiful heart off her chin. I made sure I got it all before I kissed her again, letting her rid me of the batter once more. Our heated and extremely fervent make-out session died down a little until I felt her hands slip out of my hair. I slowly opened my eyes only to be met by her mischievous green ones.

"Oh no. What have you planned?" I asked dumbly, knowing full well the things flying through her head without having to actually be privy to them like Edward.

"Oh, nothing," she whispered casually, her breath finally calming down.

All of a sudden I felt coldness on my nose and smelled chocolate. I smiled down at her as she drew on my nose and lips. She grinned impishly before starting at my nose. I could feel her tongue working the batter off and I held onto her hips, letting her control the kissing and the licking. I could smell her breath that mingled with the chocolate. I couldn't help it. I captured her lips with my own and sucked her tongue into my mouth, letting our breath mingle, letting the chocolate mix with her own strawberry taste.

She was moaning like crazy at this point. She pulled on my shoulders so that I was practically on top of her while she laid down on the cold granite countertop. She dragged a hand up my chest until it rested on my neck, right over my throbbing jugular.

"A-hem."

She gasped, pulling her mouth away from mine and looking over her shoulder to see the intruder. I stood up right and pulled her down from the island so she could run to the man in the doorway.

"Daddy! Your back!" she yelled, launching herself into his arms.

A smile slipped onto Jacob Black's mouth as he wound his arms around his daughter and held her tightly, letting his face drop into the crook of her neck. "I missed you." I barley heard the quiet whisper.

She pulled back and kissed his cheek. "Oh Daddy," she murmured. "Are you staying?" I could hear the hopeful note in her voice and braced myself incase I would need to console her again.

He smiled again but it didn't really reach his eyes. "Baby, there is no way I could stay away for long."

She threw her head back and laughed, hugging him again. "I love you, Daddy."

He let go of her after he twirled her around a bit causing me to smile at all the love obvious in the room. "I love you too, kitten."

"Dad!" a voice boomed.

Ravyn and Aiden stood in the hallway, shit eating grins on both their faces. Ravyn and Aiden both went forward to embrace their father, but a pair of hands were wrapping themselves around Aiden's waist from behind. He stopped midway and turned around, his eyes wide with relief and happiness. Leah smirked at Aiden's dumbstruck look before he crashed his lips to hers. I decided to look away when Aiden lifted Leah up and slung her over his shoulder, bounding out of the room and up the stairs yelling, "Glad to have you back, Dad!"

I glanced over to see if Jacob would be upset at the quick "hello" but he only laughed and hugged his son and daughter close to his heart. Mac looked over at me, a smile lighting her face up. She waltzed over to me and grabbed my hand, placing a tender kiss to the inside of my wrist, nibbling lightly on the skin below my thumb.

"I know what you're thinking," she whispered, "and I don't want you to do it."

I raised an inquiring brow at her order. "Oh? Since when can you read minds?" I asked playfully, dodging her question.

"Stop changing the subject, you do that enough already. I don't want you to go early just because my father came back home. We have a cake to finish you know."

I sighed and kissed her nose which was wrinkled in annoyance. "If you don't want me to go, then I won't," I said, though I did want to give her time with her family. I had been over everyday for three days. I'm sure she could do well with some high quality family time.

And on that note, I turned to Jacob and asked, "We were in the middle of baking a cake, do you want to help us?"

Mac wrapped her arms around my waist and smiled up at me as her father sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to take her away from you," he whispered, his eyes were dull and unfocused as if he were in pain.

"Daddy-"

He interrupted her. "I'm going to go see Rachel and Rebecca." He swiftly scrambled out of the room before we could tell him they had already left this morning, Ravyn trailing behind him.

"He knew," Mac said softly, answering my unspoken question. "He can't be around us right now. We remind him too much of him with my mother."

I pulled her into the circle of my arms and held her close, resting my chin on her head. "They're going to be fine," I tried to reassure her. "Their bond is so strong, even though it seems weak now, it'll get stronger as the days pass and their hearts call to each other, needing the other."

She pulled back and stared at me incredulously. Her eyes were wide in disbelief and a garble of bewilderment fell from her open lips.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" I reached up to rub my teeth but she grabbed it and held it in hers, interlacing our fingers as she laughed a little.

"For a senior in a sophomore English class, you're extremely poetic all of a sudden."

I smirked and kissed her nose playfully. "Come on, enough about my intelligence. We have a cake to bake."

_~Nessie's POV~_

Sometimes I wonder what I was ever meant to do in life besides providing the world with my children. Sometimes I wonder why the world even bothers with me, when the only good I can do is make everyone unhappy, to ruin their lives. And sometimes I wonder if I was selfish, putting my needs before others. Yeah, I wonder that a lot, at least lately anyway. Because for the past three days, all I have done is live in the past of what used to be. And the past I wish would come back and engulf me in the euphoric glow.

_I lay in the tub at three months pregnant, relaxing in the warm water, the jets from the tub the only noise in my ears. Before the honeymoon, I had had an appointment with Carlisle and he told me if I were to lay on my stomach in a bath, I would be able to feel them, my babies. But I was too chicken before to do it._

_I was nervous, even though he told me I couldn't hurt them this way, I don't want to stunt their growth or anything. Though they hadn't been born yet, I already loved them and hurting them would hurt me. After several minutes of debating internally, I sighed and flopped over onto my stomach. I gasped. I could feel them, they were about the size of peas, and I could feel them! This newfound knowledge made me happy, exciting me for their arrival. _

_I was so lost in my happy-happy-joy-joy time, that I hadn't heard the door to the bathroom open and close. "What are you doing?" a deep baritone wondered, probably eyeing my wide smile, glowing from the inside out in bliss._

_I felt fingers dance along my spine and I smiled. "I am feeling our children," I answered._

_I heard clothes rustling as the fingers disappeared from my skin. "You are, huh? And what do they feel like?" I heard a zipper and then a _whoosh_._

_"Like peas or pistachios in your stomach," I whispered. "It's amazing."_

_"Hmmm," was all he said. I heard clothing fall to the ground an instant before I was lifted like some life like Barbie doll. I opened my eyes and saw a very naked Jacob stepping into the tub and turning me around to sit between his legs. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I leaned my head back against his rock hard chest. "Peas…" he mused, his hand splayed on my lower abdomen. _

_"Peas," I repeated, holding his hand to my stomach._

_I felt him nibble my earlobe and I moaned, not bothering to hold it in. "I wish we could stay in Australia forever," I breathed._

_Jacob rested his forehead on my shoulder and he kissed the apex of my shoulders and neck. "I know what you mean, Angel. But I doubt your family would want you to live so far away from them."_

_"I mean being on our honeymoon," I clarified. "I feeul like we have no problems here. I don't like it when we have problems. Right now, everything feels so right. But everything can go so wrong, so quickly. I don't want that for us. I love you so much, if I were to ever leave you or vice versa, my life would be over. I'm sure of it."_

_He pulled me more securely to him, his chin on the top of my head. "If I were to ever leave you or vice versa, I would commit suicide. Because I _know_ that my life will be over without you. You are what makes this bearable. I live for you, because of you. I have no other purpose on this Earth but to be with you."_

_And look where that got us_, I thought. I screwed up and now he's God only knows where and my children are as miserable as I am. But to think I caused all this hurt was what made me get out of bed that day. To finally clean up and take a bath. Only Jake wasn't going to come and comfort me this time. So I cried, adding my salty tears to the cooling bath water, my French salts Alice gave me for Christmas not the solace that it used to be. Heartache was all that was left for me to feel.

And I deserved it.

_~Leah's POV~_

Aiden rolled off of me and tucked me into his side. I ran a hand over his sweaty chest that was rising and falling with his heavy breathing, his heart thunderous in my ear. For the last two hours, he hadn't let me get up out of the bed. Though, at first we didn't make it to the bed. The minute we had entered our room, he had pushed me up against the wall. The second time was on the floor beside the bed. And the last four times were in the large, luxurious bed. I clutched him to me, needing all the comfort that he possessed and exulted.

"Leah," he murmured, "what is it? Was I too rough?" He sounded so concerned that it caused me to laugh a little.

I sat up to rest my head on my elbow and eyed the sunlight streaming in through small gaps in the curtains, bathing him in the glow of a sunny, winter afternoon. He was so sexy that I was speechless for a minute. "Too rough?" I repeated. "Even if you were, I _am_ a werewolf, Addie. You could never be too rough with me."

I sighed and cupped his cheek with my palm. He leaned into my touch, his lips touching whatever skin he could find. "I missed you so much. Those times when we phased together were not enough. It wasn't the same. Next time, we send Seth."

If it weren't so sappy, I would've smiled but. But I reciprocated his feeling entirely, and there was nothing amusing about the situation. I leaned down and lightly pressed my lips to his. It was far from the fervor of our earlier passion, but it expressed all of my feelings. To him, I was an open book. With all the times that he was in my head, there his nothing about me or us that we don't know. "I'm scared," I whispered, opening up to him. I never even talked this intimate about myself with my baby brother.

Aiden pulled me down so I was in the circle of his arms, his heart back under my ear, soothing my taut muscles. But I could still feel the prickling of tears. I hadn't been able to cry around Jake, because the only person I would ever allow to see me this vulnerable was Aiden. "Baby…" he breathed. "No. Don't cry."

He pulled us into a sitting position against the headboard with me straddling his lap, my face buried in his slightly hairy chest. I used to think that chest hair was a turn off, but on him, it made him that much manlier, that much sexier. Aiden wrapped his arms around me, a hand in my hair, holding my head to him while his forehead was down on my head. "You don't have to be scared," he told me. "I'm here and I'm never leaving you. Not now, not ever."

I was shaking now, breathing hard as I tried not to cry. It was useless though. I only ever let go with my imprint. The only one that I knew for sure would not think less of me if I were to ever cry. With him, I truly felt safe. "I don't want to end up like them," I whispered, barley audible. "I can't. If you weren't here, I would never survive like I have. I would still be wounded by Sam. Still jaded. If I lost you now, I would be worse then when I lost Sam. I would be a vegetable. I don't want to be a vegetable, Aiden." I was crying hard now, so hard that the shakes were deathly violent.

His arms, already tight vises, became even more unyielding, holding me so close to him you would think that we were one person. "I will never let you become a vegetable, Leah. I would die before I ever let you become something like that. Hurting you is the farthest thing from my mind right now." His hand was running through my hair as he let me cry. He was humming our song, _Hear You Me, _by Jimmy Eat World. It was what was playing when we had our first kiss.

I had been teaching him to slow dance per his request, though I knew it was only because he wanted an excuse to hold me. I was his imprint after all. I turned the song on since it was my only favorite slow song on my iPod Touch. I told him where to put his hands and where I put mine and that we just sway. The next thing I know, I'm drowning in his strange green eyes, time and place falling from my vision. All that was there were us. His hand that had previously been on my hip, moved to my face, holding my cheek in his large palm. His thumb caressed my bottom lip and my mouth fell open like it was telling him "Kiss me now, damnitt!" And then, that's what he did. For the first time, our relationship shifted from friendship to lovers. And there was no looking back.

As Aiden hummed the song, I reflected on our life together. I snuggled deeply into him and balled my eyes out, but with him, it wouldn't be crying. It would be sharing a part of me with him that no one else ever gets to see. It's handing him my trust and saying "Here, I love you, and I'm going to trust that you won't ever hurt me" because that's all I can really do. Crying in his arms is a way of telling him that I love him. And he knows it though it has never been voiced.

Eventually, the song calmed me enough to take in my position on his lap. And it helped me lose the sadness that had been deep within me. And soon, I wanted to _be_ with him again. No, I _needed_ to be with him again. I needed to feel that physical side of our relationship. And he can feel the change in me, in the atmosphere. I lifted my head from his chest and kissed him deeply, telling him how much I need him. How much I love him and all he is to me.

"I would love you even if you weren't my imprint," I whispered when he pulled away to kiss along my neck. "I would still need you…"

He kissed me again, words not sufficient enough to express his return of my feelings.

_~Mac's POV~_

Life is screwed up. It really is. And I'm not just saying that because at the moment my parents got handed a bad card. No, I'm saying that because of what I learned. Though I'm not always the most compassionate person alive, I still know how to cry, how to feel. And what I have to learn in life makes me want to just ball my eyes out. Thought I haven't even learned it yet.

It was late. Midnight. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. Wyatt was hiding something from me and I had a feeling I knew what it was. I just wasn't sure if I really wanted to find out. I rolled over, restless. I needed to find out. I had too much shit on my plate as it was, and I needed to get this over with. The whole ordeal with my parents was giving me a fucking complex. And without Wyatt, it made me feel so alone. And my one, sole fear, was to be alone. To be alone in life, to be alone in death, I was just scared of being alone.

I got up and threw some jeans and a t-shirt on, sliding my feet into some Nike Shocks. I grabbed a jacket from the floor and zipped it up as I made my way for the door. I quietly turned the knob and stepped out, slowly closing the door behind me. As I turned around, I was met with Edward's chest.

I gasped and stepped back a bit. "Edward, you scared me," I said, not wanting to voice what he already knew I was doing.

"Don't do it," Edward told me.

"What? Don't be cryptic," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

"Don't go to Wyatt's. Whatever he's hiding from you he'll tell you on his own time. Trust me, do not go over there."

Okay, this shit was starting to scare me. "Then tell me what he is hiding," I said. Edward remained silent, staring at me intently. "Exactly. I have to go. Besides, I need him. You know why. It's not just 'cause he has this secret I want in on."

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sadness, anger, and pity were rolling off him in waves, frightening me more then it should. "I have to go," I whispered, resting a hand on his forearm, pulling his hand away from his face. "Let me go."

He pulled me into his arms, his face in my neck. "I'm here for you if you need me," he said. "I'm here for you."

And he let me go. I watched perplexed as his form drew away, down the hallway. I ran a hand through my hair and decided to pull it up so I wouldn't tangle it while I ran over to Wyatt's. Knowing I was going to be able to sneak out, kind of made the whole adrenaline thing disappear but it wasn't going to stop me from being with my imprint. Just like Edward's cryptic words weren't going to keep me here.

I ran to Wyatt's, having asked Edward where he lived earlier. I ran as fast as I could in my human form, which was pretty damn fast. The alone feeling grew stronger with each stomp of my foot, pushing me to go faster. I refused to be alone. I refused to not have him.

When I got to his house, the emotions I felt brought me to my knees. The house looked decrepit. Weeds and grass had grown to be about a foot high in the front yard. The yellow paneling was peeling, showing its wear. It was a small two-story. Wyatt's truck was in the driveway and was next to a beat up minivan. But that wasn't what led me to my knees on the rain/snow mixed ground. No, it was what was coming at me from who was inside the house.

Pain, anger, hatred, despair, need, frustration. It was burning in my stomach, and the smell was acidic. Not only could I feel emotions, but I could smell them, if they were strong enough. And hatred and anger was like the smell of a wild fire burning up a hillside in summer. Despair was a hot day, pain and sadness was the scent of rain in spring. When you mix them, it's the worst smell you could possibly breathe in.

After a few calming breaths, I got up and eyed a tree in front of a window. I decided to climb up it. Once I was eye level with the windows, I stopped and sat back on my heels. What I saw through that window will be forever etched into my mind.

Wyatt was holding a miniature him, only the mini him was a she. And she was crying. And bloody. I could see it and smell it, the blood like rust in my nose, tickling it. His eyes were murderous, the blue blazing with fire. The younger girl was slowly calming down as he rocked her gently in his arms, while whispering how much he was going to take care of her. Telling her how much he would save her from this hideous world they lived in. So I sat back on the branch and cried. I cried for her and him. And I cried for myself, because I wanted to be in her arms while he rocked me. I was jealous. And that pissed me off.

I shut my eyes tightly as I felt my emotions try and fight for dominance over theirs. And for not knowing what to feel. What to do. I didn't want to ruin their time together, so I looked down at the ground, about to jump to and go home like Edward had wanted me to do.

"Mac!"

I turned around at the command. The window had been thrown open and Wyatt stood angry and shocked through the sill. "Mac, what the hell are you doing here…" he trailed off as he noticed my puffy eyes and the wetness on my cheeks. "Mac…"

I didn't know what to say. There wasn't some handbook telling me what to do and how to do it. I was good under pressure, yes, but not this kind of pressure. I wanted to run into his arms, but I knew that I couldn't. I wasn't the one that needed him the most.

But I couldn't not do whatever he told me to do. "Mac, if you don't come into my room right now, you will fall and break your neck," he whispered angrily.

My feet moved before my mind could tell them not to do it, before my voice could tell him that it would take more then a fall to break my neck. Soon enough, I was stepping through his window and standing in his room with a young girl who had started crying again. I had this strange urge to comfort her. And I didn't even know who she was. But I went to her anyway. The blood was dry, a dark red on her shirt. Her lips was swollen, her left eye black and blue.

I took her hand into mine as I sat beside her on the bed. She suddenly wormed her way into my arms and cried into my chest. I felt oddly… comfortable with her. So I let go. And I cried with her, my cheek resting on top of her head.

"Hailey…" Wyatt trailed off, probably at a loss of what to do with two girls crying.

I pulled back from Hailey and lifted her head in my palms. I whipped her tears from her cheeks. "I don't know what happened, but hey, look at me." I stared into her eyes, the very same as Wyatt's. "There is no reason to cry over this. I know it hurts right now, but that pain will dull eventually. And then, you'll realize this is what made you so strong, what made _you_."

I rested my cheek to hers and slowly rocked her in my arms again. Her breathing began to even out as she fell asleep. I reached up to pull her arms from my neck, but she stiffened and held tighter to me. So I laid back on the bed and stroked her hair until she relaxed and let go of my neck on her own. I watched her sleep for a bit, seeing the calm and tranquil expression make her black eye and fat lip a stark contrast on her young and innocent face.

"Thank you."

I glanced up at Wyatt, his emotions so pure I felt clean after what I had felt before. "Wyatt, you need to talk to me. Now."

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**Please review! =] Thanks to all of you guys by the way, hopefully you can help me get to 300!**


	12. Truth

**I am going to worn you guys, this is filled with angst. And once again, I had had no idea where this was going to go, but where it did was the farthest thing from my mind, but oh well. **

**Enjoy! Thanks once again to my hubby is no edward for editing this.**

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Chapter 12 – Truth

_I rested my cheek to hers and slowly rocked her in my arms again. Her breathing began to even out as she fell asleep. I reached up to pull her arms from my neck, but she stiffened and held tighter to me. So I laid back on the bed and stroked her hair until she relaxed and let go of my neck on her own. I watched her sleep for a bit, seeing the calm and tranquil expression make her black eye and fat lip a stark contrast on her young and innocent face._

_"Thank you."_

_I glanced up at Wyatt, his emotions so pure I felt clean after what I had felt before. "Wyatt, you need to talk to me. Now."_

_~Mac's POV~_

Wyatt's emotions were off the hook. They were everywhere. Sadness, anger, hatred, pain, love, it all caused a disgusting scent to fill the air, my nose twitching with the effort to hold the bile in my throat. I wanted to go up to him and pull him into my arms, but I figured he would want some space. He started pacing back and forth, making sure the creaks of the floorboards weren't loud enough to wake Hailey who I was assuming was his sister by that point.

I watched every emotion war across his face. And it was breaking my resolve to remain motionless, to wait for him to be ready to tell me on his own. Though I wanted to know, no, _needed_ to know what the hell was going on, his emotions and the faces he was creating made me want to just hold him close and tell him that he didn't have to let me in on the big secret. That it was okay and I would never bring it up again. But I had already told him my own personal demons. He needed to hold his end of the relationship bargain that we had.

Wyatt began mumbling beneath his breath so quietly that even with my multiplied hearing, his words were escaping me. They were all gibberish, something about money, bruises, pain, love, trust. The words bitch and submissive came up a lot as well. At last, he stopped abruptly and turned to me. Even though I could feel his emotions pooling in the pit of my stomach, Wyatt's eyes were expressive enough that without my power, I would still be able to feel the pain behind this secret I almost didn't want to know about anymore.

"Wyatt," I choked, tears threatening to drop down my now pale and bloodless cheeks, falling on my sweatshirt, staining the black fabric in the salty water. I tried to breathe but his emotions were slashing a hole into my heart, a searing pain that left me winded and gasping for air, trying to drag the oxygen into my deprived lungs.

I knew better then this. I was taught better then this. I was letting his emotions control me, and there was only one outcome when this happened. When I was lost in a pool of emptiness, losing all sense of reality, focusing on someone else so entirely that I was caught in a series of chain reactions from which I didn't remember half the time. I closed my eyes and concentrated deeply. I closed myself off to Wyatt so I could 'seek'. Where I would let my powers snake out of me, trying to find a certain emotion to feed into myself.

On the bed behind me, Hailey slept soundly and from where she was laying in the ignorant bliss of a dream, I latched onto her. She was emitting glee and reminding me of when I was little and went to the playground. All around me had been happy children and I fed off it, bringing myself under control before I could allow the evilness of Wyatt's feelings to drag me further into unconsciousness.

I felt all my tension ease and I let my shoulders slump forward as I breathed in the smell of lavender, the smell of a girl having fun in a dream. I started to slowly restart my body after a few seconds of the calming drug, my nose blissful from being relieved of the acidic smell and being replaced with a soothing aroma that made me suddenly tired. So I opened my eyes and took a deep, relaxed breath.

Wyatt was so close, his nose was an inch away from mine. I made sure I no longer felt his emotions, but it took a great deal of focus on my part. His eyes, like a door to his heart, were filled with concern. His knees were on either side of my legs, his hands on my upper shoulders and I realized he was shaking me. I gasped.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, moving a hand to my neck, rubbing in comforting circles over my jugular with his thumb. "What happened?"

"You need to talk to me," I whispered. "You need to tell me what is wrong."

Wyatt stared at me for a few minutes, an inner debate going on inside him. He finally glanced over at Hailey and sighed heavily. He stood up and grabbed my hand to yank me up with him into a standing position. He picked up a thick winter coat from the floor and slipped his feet into some winter boots lined with fake fur.

He motioned with his hand for me to follow with him and I did. He slowly opened the window and let me go through first before doing the same and closing it behind us. Wyatt took a deep breath and I heard his heart pumping like wild inside his sternum as he pulled me into his arms and sat down on the scratchy roof with me, leaning against the fading yellow paneling of his house.

I leaned into him, still letting my power feed off of Hailey's dream. I looked up at Wyatt whose eyes were far away. "Ducky," I whispered, "you know that you can tell me anything, right? Because you can. I'm here for you. I'm always here for you."

He didn't even look at me as he spoke. "I was three the first time it happened. She was never home, my mother, always working. She was fired from her job at the store in the mall where they sold shoes. After a week or so, she got a new job. And it changed her in ways I don't think anyone could've thought possible."

I stared at him, trying to even my heartbeats and my breaths as I started to feel panicky, as if I was watching a scary movie as he laughed bitterly, continuing to stare into the line of trees in front of his home. Letting himself get lost in his memories.

"She worked nights at that job. So again, I never saw her. But when I did, she was always mean, rude, and cranky. My father would look at her the wrong way and she would explode. When I would tell her I loved her like I did all the time before, she would laugh and spit in my face like I didn't matter. Soon, she stopped coming home from work until ten a.m. instead of four. I remember the day she found out she was pregnant.

"I was in the living room watching re-runs of Sesame Street when she came in babbling about days. She glanced up at the calendar on the wall and growled. She glanced at me when I asked what was wrong. And the hatred in her eyes scared me. She was always so angry. I used to feel comfortable around her as a toddler, a baby. But it was in that moment I truly became afraid of my mother. She walked up to me and slapped me hard across the face, her eyes blazing fire at me. I screamed. And she grabbed a hold of my t-shirt, pulling me off the ground to shake me, trying to get me to shut up but it made me cry, wanting her to just let go of me. When I didn't stop, she dropped me to the floor and grabbed her keys, practically running out of the house.

"I remember laying on the carpet, crying until I began vomiting. That was when my father came back from the grocery store. He came in and froze when he saw me. Asked what was wrong. And I told him that it was mommy. That she did this to me." Wyatt paused and I noticed that he was shaking. I wrapped my arms around him as tears slowly fell down my cheeks, telling him silently to keep going. "You know what he said? Nothing. He just laughed and checked my temperature like I had the flu or something, and cleaned up the mess I had made. So I ran up stairs, slammed my door and climbed into bed to cry some more.

"She didn't come home until a few days later. Dad still hadn't really believed what I had told him. But he was growing suspicious. When she came home, I sat at the top of the stairs and listened to their fight."

I wanted to kill her, to take away her right to house her children under her roof. I needed to protect him, and I felt protectiveness over his sister as well. I had to save him. I _was_ going to save him from this life he was forced to live.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I could still feel it. Could still hear it as it all flooded back to me. I relayed the scene for Mac as I replayed it in my head.

_"Where the hell have you been, Brooke?" my father yelled as she walked in the door._

_"None of your fucking business, Craig," she sneered back at him. I heard the front door close and I wrapped my arms around myself._

_"None of my business? You're my damn wife!" _

_"Oh really? Then why is it that I'm pregnant with another man's child, huh?" she screamed at him._

_There was silence. I could feel the tears threatening to fall. I was so scared that I was tempted to call 911, but I couldn't move. It was like I was glued to my spot on the carpet of the stairs. _

_"Your lying," I heard him whisper._

_"Ha!" she laughed. "You are so stupid! Why do you think I'm never home, hmm? Would it be because I needed something you couldn't give me? Ha!"_

_I shivered in my pajamas at her cold, dead laugh and her unfeeling tone of voice, like she was talking to a bum off the street who wanted her money. I let the tears fall down my cheeks and set my chin on my knees which I pulled tightly into my little chest._

_"Brooke, how could you?" My dad's voice broke on her name and I cried harder as she responded._

_"Because I hate you. You made me someone I didn't want to be. Now I am my own self. You don't control me, you can't. Oh, and I bought a gun today. But I won't tell you where it is. Remember that when you think you can just tell me what to do."_

_"That was you?" he screeched. "You are the one who hurt Wyatt the other day?!"_

_She giggled. "I don't know what you are talking about, Craig. You are too old for your own damn good. Well, I just came home to drop off my shit. My lover and I are meeting downtown in a half hour. Don't wait up for me."_

_I heard the door open and then close. My dad yelled at the top of his lungs and crashes of broken glass sounded all over the house until I heard a sob and the front door open and close._

_Silence echoed in the empty house. I stood up and ran to my window over looking the driveway. Both cars were gone. I was alone. Utterly alone. Always so alone..._

_~Mac's POV~_

I wrapped my arms so tightly around him I was sure I was breaking things. But he didn't seem to object to the strength of my arms as he held onto me just as securely. Like I was his lifeline to sanity. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I knew I was going to take him home with me one of these days. I really was.

To think of all those days where he had no one to protect him, it broke my heart. It took every ounce of power that I had to not go and kill that bitch that had caused so much turmoil. From Wyatt's story, it sounded as if she was a great mother in the beginning and it made me wonder what she did for a living.

"Wyatt, what did she do for a living, after she got fired?" I asked softly.

"She's a stripper, Mac. And then on some nights she roams streets as a prostitute because she's bored. They corrupted her. You know, she's been to jail for prostitution three times?"

I would've felt bad for her if I had enough in me to care. "Is that how she got pregnant?"

He shook his head, his nose still buried in my hair. "No, she had, well, still has, a lover outside of her work. My father does too. She changed him as well. He never came to save me after he learned she was pregnant and he wasn't the father. So I had to face her constant wrath by myself. When Hailey was born, I took care of her. I might have only been a four year old, but I loved my sister greatly. My father, though he hated Hailey, he also took care of her until I was five and he had taught me enough so he never had to touch her again.

"I vowed every time I held her in my arms, that I would protect her, and that I would never let The Bitch, as I like to call her, lay a finger on my little sister. And until tonight, I have done just that."

"You're eighteen though," I murmured, "why don't you move out and take her with you?"

His eyes grew very angry. "I don't have the money. I was fired last month since basketball always overlapped my work hours, so the boss had to let me go. But it's okay. I got a full ride scholarship to UW to play basketball. And she'll come with me. It's not like The Submissive and The Bitch will ever notice her absence. She makes sure to never be home, to always be somewhere else."

"Wyatt, let me help," I pleaded, turning to sit in his lap, holding his face in my palms as I cried. "Money isn't a problem with me-"

"No," he interrupted, turning his face to let my palms drop, but I didn't let them; I pushed them harder to his skin and made him look at me straight in the eyes.

"What do you mean no? I have money, I can buy you an apartment. Please, I want to help the both of you, just let me-"

"No! I don't need your help! We aren't a fucking charity case! I don't need anything from you! I can do it on my own, can't you see? I've always done things on my own! I'm going to save us; I'm going to help her. After tonight, I'm gonna look for an apartment. I have some money saved up in an account, I can sell some things. I'm going to look for a job. I can do this myself."

He stood up and moved towards the house to open the window. My heart shattered, watching him walk away from me. "Wyatt-"

"Just leave, MacKayla. Please. I need to be with my sister right now. Alone." He went through and slammed the window down onto the sill so hard that it shook.

I fell to my knees, my heart shattering into so many pieces that it felt as though they would cut through my skin, protruding outward until they fell from my chest leaving an empty, black space, nothing to fill the void of where my heart was supposed to be. Nothing could fix this pain.

Why didn't he want to let me help them? I just wanted to help! I only wanted to make all the pain go away for him, for the both of them. To never have to see the pain in their eyes so clearly. I only wanted to give him my love. But he threw it in my face. He threw it so hard I was still feeling the aftershocks and it felt like he had slapped me.

I let go of everything I had been keeping a reign on. I let every emotion in the vicinity around me explode inside me and I bit my lip hard enough to make it bleed as I kept in my scream. I could feel it all, I could feel it all, everything as it all sizzled inside my stomach. I cried as I let the emotions and the horrid smells assail every sense I had, letting it control me, whereas in his bedroom a mere twenty minutes beforehand, I had not allowed.

_Mac! _Aiden screamed in my head as he jerked awake in his bed, my pain strong enough to bring him to consciousness.

_MacKayla Raine Black! We're coming! _Ravyn told me as he too jumped out of bed. But I didn't really hear him. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears. All I could see was the blackness seeping into the void of my now empty sternum. I felt my lips turn up into a smile as black dots covered my eyes, my vision now dimming.

_Mac, no! Don't!_

_Please, we're on our way, don't do it! Don't let yourself fall!_

Fall? Why would I fall? No, I was going to plummet, plummet into the darkness, to let it engulf me. I could feel my consciousness slipping as I lost my vision completely and I let out a painful, strangled cry as I felt my feet slip from beneath me, felt myself rolling on the roof. I couldn't see anything, I couldn't see anything at all to stop myself!

I choked on air and just as I went under, I knew I did something very, very bad.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

How dare she do this to me! To think I'm just some fucking charity case to help when ever she felt the need to. I didn't need her help then, and I sure as hell didn't need it now. I have done this all on my own and I refuse to let anyone help me. How dare she think that she could just buy me an apartment and think that everything was fine, that if she were to do that, I would be all happy and giddy and thank her.

Yeah. Fucking. Right. Like I was going to let her control me that way, to have that hang over my head, all "_I own your house, you have to do what ever it is I say_" bullshit? Not going to ever happen. I can do this on my own; I _will_ do this on my own. It is my promise to Hailey.

I glanced at Hailey as she slept soundly in her bed. The bruises on her wrists were dark purple. Her lip was fat and the middle split open, black, and blue. Her eye was swollen shut and the same color as her lip. I wasn't going to let that happen to her ever again. That bitch who doesn't deserve to be called a mother will never lay a finger on her again. I would make sure of it.

I slammed by body down onto the mattress after I grabbed a beer out of my mini fridge. I cracked it open and chugged it down, empting it before I threw it onto my bedside table. I cracked open a second and downed it in a minute or two. I cracked open a third. I couldn't get the image of Mac's broken face out of my head. I couldn't get the scenes of abuse out of my head.

I drank every last drop of the beer and opened another one however, I didn't drink it. Though I was feeling way too sober, I set the can down on my end table, the beer not helping at all to ease my tension, to ease my pain.

My heart felt as if it had been split open, like my heart was tired of being in my chest. I closed my eyes tightly and let the tears fall down in gushes. I sobbed and turned over to bury my face in my pillow. This was so not happening to me. I was not going to cry like a baby again.

Outside, there was a strangled cry, like someone was in pain and then an extremely loud _smack_. I stopped crying, my hazy brain trying to identify the reason behind the sound. I figured it was Mac jumping down from the tree.

I stopped trying to care, but I was suddenly worried for her. I tried to remind myself that she was not human, that she could take care of herself, but I was so engulfed by the need to be with her that I got up, threw some thick sweats on over my jeans and slipped my feet into some running shoes.

I leaned down and kissed Hailey's forehead before making my way out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door. I ran a shaky hand threw my knotted hair, trying to calm myself down but every emotion I had was screaming at me. It felt like something bad was about to happen. A tingle ran down my spine, raising all the hair on my body and I felt like a live wire, too energized to even just stand still. It was as if my body was on red alert, checking every nook and cranny for danger.

I shook my head, trying to dispense it of the wired notion and began to jog in a diagonal towards the road. I glanced at the driveway. I froze.

I ran to the driveway and fell to the ground as I stared at the fresh pool of bright red blood. Bright. Red. Blood. Fresh. On my driveway. I thought back to that strangled cry, to the loud _smack_. And I thought of that wired feeling of dread that had consumed me just mere moments ago.

MacKayla. Mac. Two Socks. She was hurt. MacKayla. Mac. Two Socks. My mind repeated it over and over, like a mantra. MacKayla. Mac. Two Socks.

Before I knew what I was doing, I changed my course of direction, pumping my legs so fast the burn was nearly instantaneous.

_~Mac's POV~_

I was running. Running far away. I couldn't get away from it though. No matter how hard I thrust my human legs forward, it was still behind me, following me. Fear coursed through my veins, adrenaline driving my body.

The forest trees all became a blur as I sped past them, trying to get as far away from him as possible. The sky was dark, the stars and moon my only source of light though I could see well in the dark and did not need it. The moon was casting shadows over the forest however, making me claustrophobic as I tried to hide from him, but I was thinking every shadow was my enemy.

I tried to phase, but it wouldn't work. I couldn't get my body to let my wolf take over. It was as if my human body refused to allow me a chance to live, refusing to share it's body with another. But I wanted to live, I wanted to survive.

I heard it then, the menacing laugh. A person crying out in pain, like they were on fire.

I skidded to a halt a few feet away from the scene in front of me. Wyatt lay on the ground, blood seeping through his shirt, drenching his hands which were held tightly to his gut. His eyes were unfocused, pain ricocheting from them and bouncing into my heart as it shattered.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp and searing pain in my chest just as I felt a pulling on my hair. My knees gave out, landing me on the soft ground of the forest floor clutching my chest as I felt my ties to Wyatt fall. As if they were threads being cut with scissors.

I looked at Wyatt as the life drained from his eyes, his mouth forming the words _I love you… _And I no longer felt anything holding me to him as his mouth released his last breath.

The evil laugh sounded again but I was too far gone to care. And I laid down on the soil, in too much pain to even cry.

I felt another pull on my hair. It was comfortable, soothing. I sat up and glanced around. I couldn't see anything but the laugh was still going on somewhere, the sound echoing throught the forest.

"_Mac…_" a voice suddenly whispered in the night. "_Mac, please, wake up. For me_."

Wake up? How do you wake up from reality? Do I just pinch myself and I'll be home with Wyatt?

"_Please Mac. I need you to wake up_," it repeated.

I replayed the voice over in my head, mulling over the reason behind it, who's voice it was.

"I want to!" I yelled up into the sky. "I want this to be just a horrible dream!"

"_Mac, I love you. Please. I can't do this alone. I lied. You can help, just please. Don't leave me_."

Wyatt… It was Wyatt speaking to me, my imprint, the man who I had just seen die. The man who had broken me. The man I was in love with.

I needed to wake up. I had to. I needed to see his face, his perfect blue eyes, his tawny skin. To smell his sandalwood scent, the cleanness of his clothes. I needed _him_.

I felt another gentle tug on my hair as something wet and small fell on my cheek. I glanced up to see it raining, abruptly drenched as the downpour made me shiver like I was cold though I wasn't. I felt a pressure on my shoulder and neck. I closed my eyes, willing myself to wake up. Willing myself to live from him. For us.

At first, it was just sounds reaching my ears. A beeping from a machine, a slowly dripping liquid, faint to my sensitive ears. Rustling of fabric, sheets, breathing of many people, too many for my foggy brain to calculate. I heard a quite, dignified sobbing. Someone whispering incoherently as if they were asleep.

"She's waking up," a familiar voice murmured, relief making his voice light.

"Mac, Mac, can you hear me?" Wyatt. Wyatt was asking me a question. I wanted to see him, to answer him, but my throat was burning a fire up my esophagus.

My lids fluttered open little by little, the room so bright that it hurt my eyes and I had to close them for a few seconds before trying again.

"She can hear you," yet another familiar voice said, a smile tilting the sadness in his tone to sheer relief.

Finally, after what seemed like a million years, my eyes peeled open. I was in a hospital bed, though I was not in a hospital. The walls were painted white with a blue hue hardly noticeable to any human eye. The door that connected this room to Carlisle's study was closed and pictures of scenery adorned the sheetrock, happy pictures of lilies and daisy's. Creeks and mountains in the summer with flowers and deer. Like the pictures were supposed to make the resident in Carlisle's personal hospital room giddy.

The first person I saw was Wyatt. My gauzed hand was wrapped securely in his hand, his face no longer buried in my neck but his tears were still there, dampening my neck. His free hand was running through my hair… wait, no, it wasn't. My head was covered in gauze, like my hand. I whimpered, praying that my hair was still there. Wyatt's eyes were trained on me the entire time, watching me, his eyes red and puffy. He licked his lips and it caused me to forget the burn in my throat as I stared at him, as everyone else in the room slipping away again.

"Mac…" His voice was raspy and raw from crying and he rested our forehead together, his nose gentley rubbing mine.

A sob echoed around the small room and Wyatt moved so I could see my mother standing with my father, holding hands, beside Ravyn and Aiden. Ravyn looked as if he had just woken up and only gotten a few minutes of sleep. Aiden looked as though he hadn't gotten any sleep and his eyes, though happy, were calculating, like he was trying to figure out a hard math problem. My mother was the one crying, holding onto my father so tightly that his hand was purple but he didn't seem to mind, since he was crying and squeezing back just as hard.

Everyone rushed me at once, relief so clearly etched onto their faces that it made me cry a little, wondering how long I had been under the sea of blackness. But I had no time to talk. A glass of water was thrust at me courtesy of Aiden and my mother and father blubbered all over me, thanking any higher power they could think of for saving me. Ravyn was even crying, though I had never truly ever seen him cry before. I had thought for the longest time that he was born without tear ducts.

Wyatt held my hand the entire time, a small, sad smile curving his lips at the corners as he watched me with my family. Randomly, he would lift my hand and kiss my knuckles or he would kiss my forehead or nose before sliding back into his position of just watching me.

After about twenty minutes, Carlisle stepped in and checked my vitals. He ushered everyone out except Wyatt who I refused to let go of and vice versa. Carlisle merely nodded and smiled knowingly at us as he continued reviewing all the machines I was hooked up to.

"What happened?" I asked quietly.

Carlisle sighed, suddenly looking tired though he did not need sleep to function. "You fell off the roof, landing on the concrete. You split your skull open as it bounced on the cement. You rolled a bit, breaking your wrist and ribs from the pressure of the fall and one almost punctured your lung. I had to stitch the back of your head and I made sure I removed as little as possible of your hair to do so, not enough to be noticeable by any one but us."

I cleared my throat. "Uh, how long was I out?" I whispered.

"Not long. A day or so. I had to keep you under anesthesia so you couldn't rip the stitches out."

Carlisle excused himself after telling me my recovery and that I would be as fit as a fiddle since he already removed the stitches this morning, commenting on how remarking my healing rate was once again. Wyatt remained silent through all of it. His expression was dark and brooding, so I waited until Carlisle left to let him explain himself.

"I'm so sorry, Mac," Wyatt finally said after some moments of silence. "I never meant to hurt you, I was just so lost in the past that I was feeling all the repressed emotions I have. Lonliness is the major one. I've had to do things by myself for so long that it is practically engrained in my brain. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I love you so much that when I went back into my room all I could think of was you. Your face as I walked away from you. I need you, Two Socks, and I love you something fierce."

I looked at him as the tears began to gather. I blinked them away, once again tired of crying. "I forgave you the moment I heard your voice telling me to wake up," I responded, squeezing his hand tightly in mine, lacing our fingers together. "I love you, too, Ducky. I really, really do. I didn't mean to do what I did, I was just looking for an out to the pain."

His eyes narrowed on my face. "What do you mean? Does this happen a lot?"

I sighed and glanced over at a picture of daisy's on the wall. "Not really, now that I have control of my powers. But when I'm overwhelmed, they can make me blackout. Remember the first time you met me and I went unconscious?"

"So your saying you did this on prupose." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, but not the falling of your roof thing. I wasn't really thinking logically at the time. I was too consumed with the pain your words and actions cause that I just wanted to escape."

It was quiet. Too quiet. I dared to look over at him and instantly regretted it. His eyes were red again as tears were welling up making his blue eyes almost a green/blue color. His face was angry though, his lips pursed.

"I'm sorry," he rasped. "I can't believe I did what I did, causing you to do this. I'll probably never forgive myself. But look at me right now and promise me that you won't do this to yourself on purpose ever again. No matter what anyone does or says, you will not put me through this ever again."

I stared him right in the eyes as I responded. "I promise."

He crashed his lips to mine and the beeping went crazy as it felt as if my heart were about to rip right out of my chest and run a marathon. Though it hurt my ribs like a bitch, I couldn't have cared less. His lips wrapped up with mine was home.

* * *

**Hmm, there was a bit of foreshadowing there, did you guys notice it? I sure did. **

**Review! =]**


	13. Love is in the Air

**I am sooooo, soooooo, soooooo sorry about the wait. Truly. But I've been very busy, what with taking Driver's Ed and finally getting some new books. My goal is to reach 125 by the time school startes, and I'm at 114 right now. I recommend the** _House of Night_ **series as well as** _Vampire Academy_**. Both really good!**

*****WARNING: There is a sex scene at the end of this chapter, so it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you weren't comfortable reading it. And go easy on me, it's my first time. I might be a virgin, but I've read enough Romance novels to know what goes on in the bedroom. ;]**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13 – Love is in the Air

_~Mac's POV~_

I hate Valentines Day. All that mushy gushing crap was pretty damn nauseating, which is kinda sad since I finally have someone to spend the holiday with. But, we had yet to discuss it together. He hadn't mentioned it, I hadn't mentioned it, and what do you know, it was never mentioned. Sure, I didn't like Valentines Day, but that doesn't mean I still don't have feelings.

All around me, girls were gushing to their _bff's_ about how her beau got her something special even though it wasn't actually the right day.

"Oh, Stacey!" some anorexic girl exclaimed, her voice high and nasally. "Look what he got me!" And then she proceed to hold her hand out, letting the promise ring hit the light just so, and then _voila_! You have daylight reflecting off it. "Can you believe it? It was, like, so perfect. We went to this _cute_ little restaurant and he told me he loved me and ohmyGAWD!" Yeah, she did make it sound like one word. "It was, like, _sooooo_ amazing! And perfect! He is so _fiiiiiine_!"

Ummmm, gag me. Please. It didn't help that I was jealous. And I _loathed_ being jealous of someone who sounds like they just inhaled a balloon filled with helium. Why must girls allow the blond stereotype to be true? I don't get it. Do guys really like the brainless whores? Yes, yes they do.

I glanced up at my French teacher when she cleared her throat, allowing Miss _Thang_ to turn around and ignore the fact that Stacey wanted to try on her ring. "As you are all aware," Mrs. Carondolet said, her voice lilting in her slight French accent, "Valentines Day is on Friday. So I have a project I want you guys to work on. You will find your favorite love song, poem, and a scene from a romantic movie and translate it into French." Groans erupted around the class and I swear Mrs. Carondolet smirked. "The scene from a movie may be no shorter then a page. All of this is due on Friday. I checked out the laptops today and tomorrow so use your time wisely."

She wrote the assignment on the board before taking her seat behind her desk.

I sighed as everyone got up to grab a laptop from the rack beside her desk. I get that French can be romantic. I get that teachers sometimes like to use the holiday as an excuse to not have to teach for a few days, but come _on_! I have posters and flyers all over the school reminding me of what day it is and how far away the Valentines Day dance is. And I am also reminded a thousand times a day that Wyatt has yet to ask me. That he has yet to mention anything pertaining to the day that makes me want to throw up.

I may not be one for being a sap, but what girl doesn't want their soul mate to ask them on a Valentines date?

I sighed again and went to work scrabbling idle thoughts on what I could do for the project, leaning my head on my hand.

I heard footsteps and made the mistake of looking up. Damn it.

"Why the long face?" a blond Milles asked. And without missing a beat, took the open seat beside me as an invitation to sit down, since I apparently was as transparent as I felt.

"Nothing I want to tell you," I answered, looking back down at my paper and ignoring him. It was hard though, because he smelled _revolting_. A light spray of cologne can be nice. But the whole bottle? Not so nice. And on my sensitive senses? _Painful_.

"I know a way to cheer you up," he announced haughtily, swiveling in his chair to face me.

I raised a sardonic brow at him, daring him to continue as I put on my best intimidation face. He hesitated for a few seconds, and it was then I knew what was happening. It had been occurring quite frequently over the past week, since Monday. And it was only Tuesday.

"Go to the dance with me," he whispered huskily.

"_Mon Dieu_," I whispered under my breath.

"Ms. Black!" Mrs. Carondolet chastised. "Watch your language. Do not take God's name in vain while in my class, please."

I nodded, noting to do it much quieter from now on. "I think you are annoying and arrogant, irritating and smell disgusting. Do you really think I would go to the dance with you? I have a boyfriend, thanks," I told him in French, not even bothering to glance at him as I spoke. "You can leave me alone now."

Mrs. Carondolet laughed aloud, while most of the class looked bewildered. We were in French class for God's sake, why did no one seem to understand me? Lucky for me though, Mrs. Carondolet took pity. "It means no, Mr. Neilson."

His face scrunched up and I rolled my eyes, biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from erupting in laughter. I felt embarrassment wash over him as he grabbed his computer and returned to his seat, the guy beside him giving me a thumbs up, obviously not liking Milles.

Recognition filled me as I noticed that it was Wyatt's best friend. Jeremy. Hmm, guess he was on my side. Good.

"Jeremy!" I called. "Come here for a second."

He frowned but got up and stalked his over to my table, slumping down in the seat Milles had previously occupied. "What is it that you need?" he asked.

"Wyatt tells you things… right?"

He nodded. "Yeah," Jeremy confirmed. "Why?"

I sighed. How to broach the subject? I pondered for a few quick seconds before deciding my usual tactic for subtlety was as good as anything. "Why hasn't Wyatt as me out for Valentines Day yet?" I blurted out in a rushed whispered.

Jeremy blinked a second before chuckling silently. "A little straightforward, are we?" He smirked. "What makes you think he isn't going to?"

"I… ahh…" _Was he really going to?_

Jeremy grinned slyly. "Wyatt isn't one for doing things early. He likes to procrastinate. Waiting to the last minute, you know? Just give him a bit of time. I'm sure he'll do it soon though."

"I hope so. I'm so tired of hearing all this '_And he said he loved me_' and '_OHMYGAWD!_' everywhere. It's disgusting."

Jeremy eyed me oddly. "You are right. It is pretty sick. Being all _'I can't believe he gave you a promise ring! He is so thoughtful! I want one too!_'" he mimicked in a high, girly tone.

I giggled.

"Shut it, Jeremy. You're just jealous," Bailey sniffed in disdain, tossing her head so that her bleached hair would swing off her shoulder.

"Jealous of you getting a ring?" he asked, feigning shock and throwing a hand over his heart and batting his eyelashes as if he were trying not to cry. "I wanted one from my boyfriend, but all I got was his heart. Isn't that so stupid? Actually liking my boyfriend and not the crap he gives me? I want to have what you have, Bailey. I want your boyfriend." He even sniffed dramatically and whipped his dry cheeks.

I snickered and offered him a tissue from the box behind me.

"No," he said, waving his hand with the shaking of his head. "I'm fine. It just h-hur-HURTS!" And then he "sobbed", falling into my arms. "Oh, Mac, how will I go on?"

The entire class erupted into laughter.

Bailey's cheeks were as red as her nail polish as she muttered, "Leave it to the drama geek to act stupid."

Jeremy blew her an air kiss, trying to be a girl and act seductively. "I love you too, babe."

I glanced up to see if Mrs. Carondolet was paying any attention to the screaming boy beside me, but she was nose deep in a book. However, I felt her laughing on the inside and could practically feel her beaming. Then I remembered she didn't like Bailey.

"Mrs. Carondolet!" Bailey snapped. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

Mrs. Carondolet looked up from her book and feigned innocence in the whole ordeal. "Do what, _mon chéri_?" she asked naively.

"Punish Jeremy!" she yelled, stomping her foot.

"Why, Miss Fielding, if you do not change your tone of voice, I will be sending you to the principles' office," she warned, her voice low, authority ringing in her words.

Bailey pouted, but thankfully, remained silent. I could feel her anger and embarrassment flooding me but was for once glad. It meant Jeremy did an outstanding performance.

"Nice Job, Jere," I congratulated him, giving him a low five beneath the table.

He beamed at the compliment. "Well, I _am_ a drama geek. And those expensive acting classes paid off."

I nodded in agreement and was glad when the bell rang.

"So, are you sure that Wyatt has planned to ask me?" I asked again as we walked to the door where I knew Wyatt would be waiting.

"Of course," Jeremy reassured me. "Wyatt isn't stupid."

"I second that motion," a familiar voice agreed behind me.

I turned around and glanced up at Wyatt. Afraid he had overheard our previous conversation, I licked my suddenly dry lips. Wyatt's cobalt eyes trailed the movement and my heart rate increased as I read his emotions. _Desire_.

"I'll just leave the two of you alone for awhile," Jeremy muttered before turning on his heel and walking down the hallway.

Without permeable, Wyatt's lips claimed mine in a searing kiss, that was interrupted way too soon.

"Alright you two, enough making out in front of my door. I enjoy having my breakfast remain down my throat."

We pulled apart to see Mrs. Carondolet in her doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She was trying to look stern but the gleam in her eyes told me otherwise.

"Pourquoi, Tante, vous cherchez beau ce matin," Wyatt whispered, taking her hand into his and placing a very gentlemanly kiss to her knuckles. _Why, Auntie, you look lovely this morning._

"Dear boy, where did you learn to be so chivalrous?" she asked, eyeing him warily.

"Auntie, you are too hard on me," Wyatt said, pretending to be offended.

"Auntie?" I echoed, confused.

"She is technically my great aunt, but she doesn't appreciate sounding so old," Wyatt told me, motioning towards his aunt.

"And best you know it. A woman doesn't enjoy her age plastered on every bill board," she said, running a hand through her white waves, which were in a half ponytail.

"Ahh," I said, "she is the one who taught you French."

Wyatt nodded. "_Oui._"

"My mother and father, as well as my sister and two brothers emigrated from France back in the late seventies. And don't think that means I'm old," she muttered, jabbing a finger in my direction.

"Wouldn't even dream of it," I retorted, grinning widely.

"Well, Wyatt, I like her. Much better than that twit you were dating earlier in the year."

"Auntie!"

"What? It's the truth. Now you two best be on your way to class. I checked your record, Wyatt. You've been late to class a lot," she reprimanded him.

"Yes, Auntie," Wyatt drawled, placing a hand on my lower back. "Have fun with your prep period!" he called over his shoulder, steering us towards class.

"I love her," I said.

Wyatt flashed his dimples down at me. "I do too. She is the only one I will call family."

My good mood sobered. It had been a month and a half since our conversation pertaining to his parents, and we talked about everything, after he finally opened up to me. But he still denied me the ability to purchase an apartment. He said that he wanted one last thing to do himself that would help his little sister. And when your imprint says stuff like that, you gotta listen.

However, I felt an odd twinge in my heart as he said the words. I frowned once he dropped a kiss to my nose and said goodbye, scurrying down the hallway, trying to not be late to class for once.

I held a shaking hand to my sternum and ran it over the skin there a few times before entering my history class. _Why did what he said bother me so much?_

_~Wyatt's POV~_

I was anxious, walking to my leadership class. I wasn't real nervous about being late, I mean come on, I've been late to about every class at least three times. The only reason the school hasn't given me detention over it was 'cause of my Auntie. She can be very persuasive when she puts her mind to it, and she knows my parents don't give a flying fuck about anything that has to do with me.

I was anxious, and had been for a while, about Mac and our situation. We hadn't talked about the whole jump-from-my-roof suicide attempt. She claims it wasn't suicide and that she won't do it again, but that doesn't mean she won't want to. I trust her when she says she won't do it again, but I don't know how to keep her from wanting to go to that place in her mind. And it terrifies me. It makes me feel like I can't mess up, that I need to make her happy and whole and completed. All the time. And sometimes, it makes me feel suffocated, the need to keep her sane always a solid thing in my mind.

My phone buzzed as I got in the classroom walked toward where I sat. It was from Jeremy.

_**Dude, I saved your ass. You owe me.**_

I frowned as I took my seat beside him. I glanced at Jeremy, raising a questioning brow at him. He shrugged, opening his binder to see what he had to do today. I did the same.

"Mac wants to know why the hell you haven't asked her to the dance," he said, marking off what he did yesterday.

"What?" I squeaked, ignoring my to-do list and turning to face him.

He had the audacity to laugh at me. "Look, Wyatt. Just because at times she doesn't seem like it, she is a girl. She likes the roses and chocolate thing. Duh."

"But I know Mac, and she doesn't like that sort of thing. And what do you know about girls, Jere?" I was the only one in the entire school that knew he was gay. When all the girls who chase him ask me why he never has a girlfriend, I always cover and tell him that she goes to college.

He scowled at me. "Just 'cause I like men does not mean I'm stupid," he whispered, his eyes shooting daggers at me. "And if I were straight, I would at least know when I need to ask my girlfriend on dates and shit."

Damn, he was right. I never once took Mac on a date. I wasn't romantic, and well, all that shit made me feel sick. However, I owed it to Mac to do the right thing by her and by God, I will do it.

"Okay, all-knowing-gay-guy-but-if-had-a-girlfriend-would-know-what-to-do, what is your advice?" I asked, in low tones so the people around us wouldn't hear as they left the room to work on their assignments.

He glared at me again. "If you say that out loud one more time, I will hurt you," he threatened, getting up and putting his red binder on the shelf.

"Fine. Will you help me though?" I begged, following suit and putting my binder away next to his.

"Why not? It's not like we have to do much other then help Mrs. Palmer paint her art room," he mused aloud, walking out of the room.

"What? We have to paint her room? Again? We do that every year!" I groaned, following after him.

He shrugged. "She has a paint fetish."

I gave him a droll glance and he smirked. "Oh really, who would've guessed the art teacher likes paint?"

He rolled his eyes. "It isn't as funny when you have to voice out the joke."

I playfully pushed him to the side and he cackled.

"Wyatt!"

I turned at the feminine yell. Although why, I wasn't so sure. I didn't have to be Alice to know what Kacey was up to. Kacey Hearty was a junior with short, straight hair that was blond and died with black highlights. One would think it would look bad, but on her she did a pretty good job of making it look stylish. The only annoying thing about her was her voice. High pitched and she talked forever. Not to mention she been practically throwing herself at me since her freshmen year.

Kacey stopped right in front of me, her four foot nine body beaming with satisfaction as she glanced up at me with her bright, big blue eyes. "Wyatt! I'm so glad I caught you!"

I heard Jeremy laughing quietly as he regarded the two of us. And so I smirked when she noticed him.

"Jeremy! So nice to see you as well," she drawled, sizing him up.

Jeremy stiffened and looked scared to death as he practically begged me with his eyes to save him.

"Well, Kacey, as you know, I have-"

"A girl friend, yeah, I know," she interrupted me, a frown making her lips pouty. If it was supposed to seduce me, it wasn't working. At all. Only one set of lips could make me speechless and they didn't even have to pout to do it.

"Leadership class," I clarified, "but yes, I do have a girlfriend. Anyway, Jeremy and I really need to get back to painting Mrs. Palmer's room."

Her eyes dimmed but lit up again as if a thought crossed into her mind. "I'll walk you!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary-"

"Don't worry!" she exclaimed, looping her arm through mine and steering me towards the art room. "I have Mr. Oliver this period. He's always have asleep anyway."

Jeremy awkwardly stood on my free side. "So, you needed help?" he asked, making idle conversation and I realized he was navigating our conversation towards MacKayla, thank Jesus.

"Ah, yes. What do you think I should do?"

"What do you need help with?" Kacey inquired, agitated, beside me and gazing up at me with adoring eyes.

"I'm not sure what to do for my girlfriend. It's almost Valentines Day, and I'm clueless."

I watched as her face darkened and she looked away from me to the floor for a second and then back up at me. Right as we reached Mrs. Palmer's class, she pulled me a side and waved Jeremy in. He glanced at me warily.

"I guess I'll be right in to help you," I muttered through clenched teeth.

He nodded, a smile gracing his lips as he looked at me mockingly. I glowered at him.

"Wyatt," Kacey began, pulling me into shadows where the hallway's lights were off, "I get you have a girlfriend. You always seem to have one. But why are you wasting your time on her? If you don't know what to do for her, then she's obviously not your meant to be. So why stick with her when your one true love is still out there?"

I bit back my retort, letting her get all of this out of her system now. She reached up and cupped my cheek with her hand. I made sure I didn't stiffen. "Wyatt, I believe that we might have a chance. I've thought that for awhile now, and with you graduating in June, I want us to have that chance."

I gently grabbed her hand and pulled it away from my face, allowing it to drop back down to her side where it swung back and forth. "Kacey, I appreciate the gesture, really, but I'm in love with Mac. I'm going to stay with her. She is everything I could ever want and hope to have. And once I…" I paused, regarding how old she was _legally_ supposed to be. "When she graduates, I _will_ marry her. This is the real deal, Kacey. I've found who I'm meant to be with."

I watched the horror and embarrassment dawn her features and added smugly, "Please, tell your friends. Tell anyone you can find."

Her eyes on the verge of tearing up, she turned on her heal and ran down the hallway. I sighed heavily and walked into the paint-fumed room, locating Jeremy easily as he swiped a brush into a can of red paint.

"Hey," he greeted, tossing me a spare brush. "We're painting this arch red."

I nodded, dipping the brush into the paint and letting smoothly stroke the brick arch. "So, are you going to help me or what?"

_~Mac's POV~_

It was the weirdest feeling. It was as if I were floating. As if I weren't really on solid ground and I was hovering over the Earth, glancing down at all the people still trying to find their sole purpose in life. I made sure I didn't giggle and act like a mindless girl as I replayed it over and over in my head…

_"I still can't believe Kacey did that. Everyone knows he is so in love with that ugly MacKayla Black."_

_"I know. I don't even get why he wants to marry her. She is so plain."_

_"Isn't she too young to get married?"_

_"He told Kacey that he's willing to wait for her. He is so romantic. Why does she get to have him?! It is so un_fair_!"_

_"I know. I wish he would marry me."_

_"Me too."_

I never thought that I could possibly be this happy. Although, I had to remind myself that the truth changes when it's passed through the mouths of high school students, but it had me more then anxious by the time fourth period was over signaling the beginning of lunch.

Wyatt had been absent between my second and third period classes, but I didn't pay any attention since he texted me alerting me to the fact that he was held up in leadership. I couldn't expect him to always dote upon my hand and foot but I did seem to find myself saddened at the small loss of him.

I found him easily enough, and through my high filled gaze, it seemed like he glowed as he leaned up against the wall of lockers. I quickened my stride and threw my arms around his neck.

"So, you want to marry me, I see," I whispered in his ear, nibbling on the lobe, placing open-mouthed kisses to the skin bellow his ear.

He hissed in response, his arms winding around my waist to pull me tighter against him. He didn't answer me though, which made me very upset but his mouth on mine quenched my sudden drop of giddiness. He sucked on my bottom lip, his hands roaming my sides, finding the small of my back, my hips. I moaned against his mouth and he pulled away, nibbling a path down my throat to where it met with my shoulder. He hoisted me up higher, an arm slung low on my lower back making me arch backwards and clutch his arms to stay upright as he kissed and licked my collarbone.

"What are you doing Friday?" I felt more then heard his words murmured against my oversensitive skin.

"Nothing," I gasped, as he let me fall back to the hallway, but kept me tight to his body as his hand slithered into my hair and his fingers twined themselves in my curls, his mouth finding mine again.

"Good," he said between kisses. "I want you-" kiss "-to go to-" kiss "-the dance with me."

He didn't even give me a chance to respond with his mouth silencing my own. Finally, after a long duel of our tongues, his mouth slid to my ear, his breath making goose bumps erupt all over my skin.

"Say yes," he whispered, kissing my ear lightly, teasing my lobe with his teeth and tongue.

"_Yes_," I moaned, my hands finding purchase in his soft locks, falling to the nape of his neck and playing with the short little hairs their. "God yes!"

"Ms. Black! Mr. Parker!"

I froze at the sharp voice and turned to see his aunt striding up to his. I felt my face get hot and knew it was as red as possible.

"Wyatt, MacKayla," Mrs. Carondolet exclaimed, striding up to us. "I must ask the two of you to separate this instance before someone catches you!"

Wyatt grinned and kissed me one last time so ardently I all but forgot that his aunt was standing right there, her mouth open and her expression agape as she watched us.

"Wyatt!" I breathed as he pulled away. "She said to stop!"

"Oh, but I couldn't help myself. You said yes."

"Yes, we've established that," Mrs. Carondolet said dryly. "I'm sure half the school heard her moans."

If it were possible, I'm sure my face got redder. "I was answering a question," I added sheepishly.

"Oh, that I'm sure of. Now get to class before I decide I'm too nice and make the both of you get detention."

"Aww, Auntie, I do love you," Wyatt pronounced, kissing her cheek.

Mrs. Carondolet blushed and waved him off. "Go. Be with your _amour_, okay? Just no more necking in public places. All right?"

He nodded, a smile gracing his lips again as his hand found mine and he pulled me towards the cafeteria.

"That was so embarrassing!" I cried, hanging my head as we entered the double doors and sitting with my family.

"I thought it was funny, although not inside either of your heads. Your French teacher was interesting though," Edward said, sliding his tray of food towards me.

"Yes, well…" I trailed off, my face hot again.

Jeremy sat across from me as me Emmett gave his food to Wyatt. "I think a little thanks is in order," he drawled, taking a bit of his bread roll and chewing it loudly, purposely being annoying.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

"For what?" I asked glancing up at my imprint.

"Oh, nothing," Wyatt responded, kissing me on the lips.

***

For already being in love with Wyatt and spending any possible time with him, you would think I would not be nervous about this. I mean sure, it was our first date. And sure, half the school seems to think he's going to marry me, but I knew all the intimacies of his mind. I knew his darkest secret. I already knew that he loved me. So why would my heart be beating the way it was? Why was my mind racing and planning the disasters that might occur?

I smoothed a hand down the front of my black Nicole Miller dress. It was a black strapless dress that went down to my mid thigh. A gold and silver rectangular medallion beneath my breast had pleats of chiffon flowing and connecting in the back. The inside was lined in silk softer then anything I had ever felt.

Alice and I had gotten it the last time I was in New York and knew first hand the price. However, it was the cheapest dress in my closet. In fact, I had two purse that cost more. As well as four shoes, one of which I was wearing. They were silver and had diamonds on every single strap. There was a wrap around strap that went up my ankle. A strap wrapped at my toes and another at the top of my foot. Though I don't really like to admit it, Alice made sure I knew how to walk in heels. So these four-inch stilettos weren't hard to walk in at all. Though it had been a little while, so I wouldn't be surprised if my feet hurt later.

My necklace was worth more then the dress and shoes put together. It was a Roberto Coin heart of diamonds on a silver chain from my mother for my sixteenth birthday. I always wear it, but tucked under my shirts. It was too flashy to wear for all occasions and there was no need to share with the class that my necklace was made of real diamonds.

Alice had my hair up in an intricate hairstyle that I knew even after being up all night, it was going to still be silky soft and rumple free when I take out of the pins later on that night before I go to bed. Alice also did my make up, a smoky eye shadow adorning my upper lids, eyeliner around my eyes and at the corner, she made it so it turned upward slightly. On my lips, I wore a pale red lip-gloss and my cheeks were rosy.

All in all, I looked pretty damn good.

"MacKayla."

I turned to see my mother and father standing in the doorway.

"Wyatt's here," my dad announced.

I nodded and forced my heart to slow down as I reached down to grab my clutch just as a pair of keys was tossed in my direction. I caught it out of reflex and gaped at it. "Your letting us borrow the Lambo!?"

He shrugged, slinging an arm over my mother's waist. I was so glad they had gotten back together. It turns out that my "near death" accident really made them realize how short and delicate life was. Not to mention when they thought I was going to die, they had each other to hang on to, what with Aiden being with Leah, and Ravyn not wanting to talk to anyone, all they had was themselves. "I remember what it felt like to take a fast car on a date," he murmured, glancing down at my mother, his heart in his eyes.

I smiled and hugged them both on the way out of my room.

"Why, Mac, you do look good in that dress," Rose drawled. "I told you, Alice."

Alice scoffed. "I already knew, Rosalie. You didn't have to tell me."

But I didn't pay them any attention. There, standing off to the side near the front door was Wyatt. He was wearing a blue pin stripped dress shirt clearly borrowed from us, since it was Gucci with a black Dolce & Gababana leather jacket. His jeans were from Rock & Republic, light washed with artificial holes on the upper thigh and knees.

I strode up to him, slipping my arms around his waist and breathing in his leather coat scent. I loved the smell of leather. I also caught a hint of his sandalwood body wash and grinned, my skin suddenly feeling tingly. "Where did you get the threads?" I asked as he cupped my cheek.

He grinned sheepishly. "Alice." It was all he needed to say

"You can keep all of them though, they look great on you!" was her enthusiastic response.

"Anyway, we're leaving now!" I yelled, already leading him out of the house with a finger in one his belt loops. "I really like the jacket," I said, my free hand running up and down his chest, taking in the feel of the leather.

He glanced down at me as we walked. "Really? I thought it would make me look like I was trying too hard."

I shook my head and pulled him to a stop so I could kiss him. "You look sexy."

He pulled away and littered my face with kisses. Finally, he settled with his mouth sliding to my ear so he could whisper, "And I think you look absolutely breathtaking."

With a hand on his nape, I pulled his lips down firmly onto mine. By the time we pulled away, we were both gasping for breath.

"Are you ready to go, Two Socks?" he inquired softly, steering me towards his truck.

I yanked on his hand and he turned towards me, frowning. I smiled, dangling the key in front of his face. "What do feel about a nice, fast, flashy car?"

His face was ashen as he glanced at me. "Mac, are you saying what I think you're saying…?"

I nodded and watched with glee as his face broke into his handsome dimpled smile, snatching the keys from my fingers, grabbing my hand, and all but running towards the garage. It was a tad bit hard to keep up with my heels but I managed.

I slid into the passenger seat as he slid into the driver's seat, grinning like a mad man. He made a humming noise as the engine purred to life. Pressing a button on the visor, the garage opened. I smiled as his laugh flew around me while he accelerated.

By the time we got to the restaurant, Wyatt was so happy that it filled me with euphoria. He got out and walked to my side of the car, opening the door and held out a hand to me.

"Hmm, your Aunt was right. You are suddenly being chivalrous."

"Oh, _mon amour_," he said, continuing in French, "how you wound me. I have always been such a gentleman."

I rolled my eyes and let him help me up.

He eyed my shoes warily. "I don't understand how you could wear those," he muttered in English now. "They are so tall we are the same height!"

I raised a brow as he intertwined our fingers and walked with me to the restaurant. "Is that a problem, being the same height?"

"No," he retorted, "of course not. I just now have to make sure to be extra careful. I must make sure I catch you if you trip." He kissed my cheek and held the door open for me.

The restaurant was completely empty and I gasped as a waitress led us outside to a single table surrounded by rose bushes. Strung up around it were a dozen strings of twinkling light and a single candle stick was sitting on the table lit, the glow from the flame sending light over the two white plates on wither side of the round table.

The waitress set the menus on the plates and smiled when Wyatt thanked her and strode briskly out. Wyatt came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I know its cliché, but I wanted to do something special for you. Something no one had ever done for you." His lips moved to my ear as he whispered, "I want you to feel like a princess."

I turned in his arms and linked my fingers behind his neck. "Oh, Wyatt. This is more then enough. And I don't care if it's cliché or not. I'm here with you. That's all that matters right now."

He leaned down until his lips were whisper soft against my own, like a fluttering breeze. He kissed me softly and so tenderly that my toes literally curled from the ecstasy of it.

"Come one, let's sit down, and look over the menus."

I sat down across from him and went over the menu but I felt his gaze on me the entire time. I glanced up and smiled behind the heavy menu as his eyes instantly went down cast. I glanced down too, and right back up once I felt his eyes on me again.

"Wyatt, why are you staring?"

His eyes twinkled with mirth. "Staring? I'm not staring."

"No," I responded. "Of course not."

We both went back to looking over what they had to offer. The waitress returned not long after and took our order, once again leaving us alone. I clasped my hands, my elbows on the white tablecloth and rested my head on my folded fingers. I looked around at the millions of twinkling lights and how they accentuated the stars.

"How did you arrange all of this?" I murmured, watching him in the candle light.

"Well," he started, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "at first, I got some help from Jeremy. Then I went and asked Alice for help. It's not like my minimal funds got me what I'm wearing. I'm sure it's worth more then I am."

I smiled and rested my hand on his. "You don't need money to look like my Prince Charming, Wyatt."

He lifted my ahnd, pressing his lips to the center of my palm and held it to his cheek. "Mac, I love you. I really, really love you. And I know we're only eighteen, but I can't imagine living a single day without you."

I gasped as he stood up, still holding my hand as he came over to my side. He let go of my hand and dropped down to one knee, reaching into his jacket until he came out with a black Tiffany velvet lined box. "MacKayla Raine Black, I love you more then life itself. I've pictured this moment a thousand times, a thousand different ways, and I have to say the reality is better then my imagination. Just one look from you and I'm undone. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Mac. Every aspect of it."

He opened the box and I gasped again. It was a two point five-carrot rectangular diamond with two triangles surrounding it on a silver band. But I wasn't looking at it. Not really. I was looking at him. He shifted uncomfortably and I fought for breath as I stared deep into his blue eyes, a giddy laugh escaping my mouth as I threw myself at him.

"Mac? It would be nice if you said something right now. Really, _really_ nice, actually."

"Yes!" I choked out. "YES! _Yes!_"

His arms wound around me and I was surprised to see him wiping my tears away. _I was crying? Oh forget about it, I'm engaged!_ "Oh God Mac," he groaned, kissing me, taking my breath into his lungs.

He pulled away and made sure my entire face had been kissed. My temples, my eyelids, my cheeks, my nose. He kissed every single teardrop away.

"I can't believe I'm crying," I muttered.

"I'm just glad you finally said something."

"We're you afraid I'd said no?"

He shook his head, taking my left hand into his and lifting the ring onto my left ring finger. "I was afraid you weren't ready. But I am. I am so ready to start my life with you. I don't care about the fact that I'm still in high school. I don't care that you aren't human. And I don't care that every rule of life says we aren't supposed to be together. I say we are. _I_ say that I love you and never want a day to go by without you."

I melted and grabbed his hand, interlocking our fingers. "Let's get out of here," I suggested, really wanting to be alone with him suddenly.

"But the food-"

I placed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Forget it." I kissed his jaw, moving my mouth so it was at his ear. "I'll be your food."

That got his attention. He swooped me into his arms and carried me to the car, telling the waitress she could have our food. He laughed at her expression and set me in my seat kissing my forehead and Dukes of Hazard-ing it across the hood and jumping into the driver's seat, turning on the ignition.

My cell phone rang and I reached in my clutch to answer it and was met with a set of hotel keys along the way.

"Alice," I hissed, "what did you do?"

"I saw this happening so I gave you hotel keys. It's the Guest House Inn in Aberdeen. Room 204." She hung up on me.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked, an odd intensity coming into his eyes as he glanced at the key. "Is that a hotel key?!"

"Alice," was all I said. Well, then I told him where to go because there was no way in hell I was going to chance this and tell him lets just go to my house where everyone can hear you. Yeah.

The drive was quick and before I knew it, we were both in the hotel room. Wyatt took off his coat and slung it over a chair at the desk. It was a standard hotel room. Two pictures of mountain scene hung on the wall, on dresser, one Plasma TV., and one large California king sized bed.

He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head. "Are you nervous?" he asked softly.

I shook me head, surprised by my own answer. I pulled back slightly and ran my hands over the soft blue button down.

"Are you sad that you're missing the dance?"

I shook my head again, my fingers reaching up to a button. I slid the disc through the hole and smiled inwardly at his sharp intake of breath.

"Are yo-"

I kissed him, hard, my fingers finishing off the rest of the buttons easily. I slid my hands under the material and slipped it over his shoulders where it tumbled to the floor. "I'm not anything but yours," I murmured as he backed me towards the bed until the back of my knees hit the bed and we fell onto it together. "I'm not anything but yours."

I ran my hands down his bare chest, my fingers feeling every muscle, every dip. His lips were on my neck, his fingers working the side zipper on my dress. I was strangely okay with this. I wasn't nervous; I wasn't scared, I was just really, really, ready for this to finally happen between us. So damn ready.

He slid the zipper down and gently yanked it so it was around my hips. I reached around and unhooked my nude strapless bra, baring myself to him. I flung the bra on the floor and cupped his cheeks, kissing his lips hard, swiping my tongue into his mouth.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered huskily, his lips trailing a fire down my throat, lower until…

His mouth closed around a taut nipple and I cried out at the intense feeling starting in my lower belly. My fingers found purchase in his hair, his lips causing weird things to my body. I felt his erection, hot and heavy against my thigh and suddenly a warm pool formed between my legs. It had happened before, tons of times while making out with him. And for once, it was going to get what it so desperately wanted.

Feeling the need to get closer to him, I pulled him up and latched my lips to his. My fingers reached down, lightly stroking the bulge in his jeans and he groaned.

"Mac," he gasped, catching my hand. "Don't. I won't last long if you do that."

He went back to kissing me as his hands worked the rest of my dress off, leaving me only in my black thong. His lips burned a pathway down my throat, pausing for a minute at my breast where he took a nipple into his mouth, a hand twisting the other one.

I moaned, my hips instinctively moving upwards, seeking. I arched my back and wrapped the sheets in my hands on either side of me. He moved lower, kissing my stomach, dipping his tongue into my navel. He nibbled on a hipbone as he fingers slipped under my panties and for the first time he touched me. My hips flew upward, my eyes flipping open at the sensation.

"Oh Mac," he breathed. "You are so ready."

He removed his fingers and I whimpered at the loss until he hooked them around my panties and slid the down my legs, letting them fall to where the rest of my clothes were resting. I was completely bare to him and yet I wasn't embarrassed at all. It felt right, like I was meant to do this.

His hands massaged my legs as he reached down and took off my shoes. He then slid his hands up my bare legs, splitting my things wide and taking a look at my very feminine place. Again, I should have been embarrassed, but this was Wyatt. This was Wyatt and I. There was nothing to be ashamed of between us.

"Oh, Mac," he murmured, leaning up towards my core. "Oh, Mac."

Suddenly, his lips were on me. I gasped and arched up, startled by the strange feelings he was bringing me. My hips moved up and mewing sounds fell from my mouth as his tongue started to do to long, dragging strokes. It felt like a coil was being tightened within my womb and I palm his head, pushing him closer to me as his tongue slipped inside, a hot penetration that left me breathless.

And then, when I felt like the coil couldn't get any tighter, I screamed. White-hot heat filled me and my body tingled all over as I convulsed on the bed still holding onto Wyatt's head as he continued his ministrations. Finally, when my sweaty body stopped twitching, Wyatt moved up my body, settling himself between my thighs.

He cupped my cheek and kissed my lightly, tenderly. I could taste myself on his lips and the memory of where his head had been moments ago set another fire to blaze all over my body.

"Clothes. Off. Now," I ordered between kisses, needing to really feel him. To feel him close to me, as close as humanly possible.

He hoped off the bed and quickly discarded of his socks, pants, and boxers, his manhood standing out at full attention from his body. He quickly unwrapped a condom from his wallet, slid it on over himself before he settled himself between my thighs again, and kissed me.

"This is going to hurt," he warned, string deeply into my eyes and leaning up on his elbows.

"I don't care," I answered, running my hands through his perfect hair.

One of his hands worked the pins from my hair as he kissed my throat. When he was done, he fanned my hair out around the white pillow, murmuring the word 'beautiful' again and again.

"I love you," I sighed happily.

He beamed. The hand that had taken my hair down intertwined with my left hand. He pulled it to his mouth so he could kiss the engagement ring. Our hands fell back to the bed, over my head and stayed locked together. "And I'm going to love you for the rest of our lives."

With that, I felt his tip seek my entrance as he tilted his hips forward. I tensed; I couldn't help it. I wasn't scared or nervous; I just abruptly felt the need to close my legs. Wyatt, sensing me, kissed me so passionately that it made me lose track of time. Lose track of everything and I relaxed.

And while I was distracted with his tongue, he slid inside me. I gasped at the slight pain and the girth of his large erection finally where it belonged. I wiggled my hips and Wyatt's head feel to my shoulder with a groan.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his lips finding my pulse.

"No, but if you don't start moving I'm going go insane."

He lifted his head and laughed gently, kissing me softly as his hips moved in a slow back and forth slid that started the coil to tighten again. _This is magical_, I thought, instinctively moving my hips with his, feeling like I could reach the sky. I felt all my love bubble to the surface as he began to move faster.

He leaned down to suckle my breast, his hips moving in a steady rhythm that quickly brought me over the edge calling out his name.

Wyatt kissed me hard and roughly as he joined me, groaning, and moaning my name. He fell on top of me, his head over my fast beating heart. My free hand rested on his head, the tips of my fingers playing with his hair. It felt so right, our sweaty bodies intertwined this way. I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him to me, never wanting to let go of him.

I kissed his forehead and whimpered as I felt him slid out of me. He laughed gently, kissing the tip of my nose as he leaned up on his arms.

"I better go take care of this," he muttered, getting off of me and striding to the bathroom.

I sighed happily, drowsily as I slipped myself beneath the covers and snuggled down. Wyatt joined me after a minute or two, getting in behind me, an arm slung low over my waist and his nose at the nape of my neck.

"When's check out?" I asked groggily, my eyes feeling droopy.

"Noon," he answered, his hand once again finding my left hand with the ring and interlocking our fingers.

"Good," I slurred as sleep took hold of me, a peaceful feeling enveloping me.

* * *

**Hope this statisfys you guy! =]**

**Please Review! And imigaes of their clothes as well as the ring on my profile!**


	14. Big News

**Yet again, I am sorry to say that this took so long as well as how short it is, but it is mostly just fluff.**

**I must thank all my reviewers and the Black Eyed Peas' **_I Gotta Feeling _**for helping me get this out.**

**And, the scene you have all been waiting for...**

* * *

Chapter 14- Big News

_~Jake's POV~_

"By God, if you don't tell me where she is, I swear I will rip off your body parts, dose them in gasoline, and set you on fire."

Jasper hissed and moved in front of Alice to stand in a protective stance as if he believed I might carry on with a threat for once. And I was starting to think the same thing. Alice calmly placed a small, pale hand on her husband's shoulder and pulled him back to sit beside her on the couch in the living room. He complied with her silent demand but none too gracefully, nearly flopping down next to her, his gaze never leaving mine.

_Geez_. "Look, just point me in the right direction, okay? Is that so hard?"

"Yes, because I do not know where she is," Alice responded, amusement daring to enter her tone of voice.

"Alice," I spat through my teeth, taking a step forward but Jasper's face held me back. "She is my daughter and you will tell me where she is. Now."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "What makes you think that I have a single thought as to her whereabouts when I just told you that I did not know?"

Did she like games? Her smirk told me that she did. Very much so in fact. "You can see the future, Alice. Don't play dumb with me."

She sighed. "I can't see her future you know that."

"You can see his. If you can see his, then you can see enough to tell me where the hell they are. I just want to make sure she is safe."

Alice made a very unladylike snort. "I'm sure all you want to do is 'check and make sure she is safe'. More like dismember Wyatt."

I ran a hand through my hair which was starting get too long. Damn Alice for not telling me! "I would never," I disagreed.

"No matter what or how you reassure me, I will not disclose the information," she said defiantly.

"Then you do know where she is!" I roared.

"Keep your voice down, Jacob," a new voice ordered as pale hands wrapped around my waist from behind.

"But –"

A hand left my waist and moved so it covered my still open mouth. I licked her palm and she giggled, moving to stand in front of me, her hands never leaving their position. "Nice try, but that won't work."

I licked her palm again and she shook her head. So I nibbled the skin, moving to a spot I knew was highly ticklish. I found it where her thumb met her palm and used my teeth to lightly scrap along the padded skin. A small laugh escaped her mouth and her hand pressed harder to my face. I bit her lightly before ever so slightly darting my tongue out to drag along her ticklish spot. Her hand lifted from my face and she rubbed it, laughing hysterically.

"Not fair!" she squeaked.

"Was to fair," I murmured, bending down to kiss her on the mouth. Her hand wound itself into my hair and she kissed me back. I would never stop kissing Nessie if I had the chance. Ever since Mac's near death suicide attempt, she refused to leave my side. She told me that every second of the day while we were apart, I was all over her mind. She had admitted to not really knowing why she and I had done that but it had only made us closer together. I had absolutely no problem with that.

Jasper cleared his throat and only then did I remember what I was doing before I was so nicely interrupted. I pulled away from Renesmee, her teeth tugging my bottom lip as I went causing me to groan quietly and want kiss her again but I held back, placing a chaste kiss to her temple. I turned to Alice, pulling Ness into my side and wrapping my arm around her waist, my thumb resting on her hip bone.

"Alice, please. You are going to make me resort to begging."

"Oh please, like you would ever beg." She laughed.

"Damn it!" I cursed.

"Language!" Esme chastised me from the garden bellow the front window that the couch was under.

"Yeah Dad," Ravyn approved, strolling into the room and sitting next to Jasper.

"We need a curse jar," Aiden announced, following after Ravyn to sit on the arm beside Alice, dragging Leah to stand between his knees. She leaned into his chest and smirked at me.

"If we had one, Jakey here would be broke." Her hands fell to Aiden's on her waist and she closed her eyes, her head falling into the crook of his neck.

"All I want to do is make sure they don't do… do… you know," I stammered, not wanting to say it out loud.

Ravyn's head fell back and he burst out a laugh. "Do what, Mr. Black?" Leah asked. "I can't seem to figure out what you mean.

I growled. "You know," I muttered.

"No, I really don't," she replied, she eyes alight with mischief.

I glanced around at their blank expressions. "It," I whispered.

"What? I didn't catch that."

"It. To stop them from doing IT!" I bit out, nearly screaming.

Everyone doubled over with laughter. Even Nessie had to muffle the sound by turning her face into my chest, her breath stirring my gray Hanes shirt. My ears burned. When the hell had I become a prude?

"Sex, Jake. Say it with me. S-e-x," Leah instructed, her hands clutching her chest as her laughter made it hard to breathe.

"Alice!" I whined.

She grinned. "Jacob, just get over it."

"She's my daughter!"

"Yes," Nessie agreed. "But she is also eighteen. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, so is Wyatt."

"Nessie –"

"Look, at least she wasn't the first. She waited the longest and for that I have to be proud of her."

"What do you mean, Mama?" Ravyn asked, his brow quirked up as if he knew the answer but prayed he was wrong.

She smiled and laughed a little. "Ravyn, I'm not blind. I remember you and your brother coming into the house at odd intervals looking all disheveled and grinning like a dog with a bone all the time."

Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, a smile gracing his lips. "I cannot be the only one who totally took that the wrong way."

"This family…" I trailed off under my breath. I whirled back on Alice, ignoring Ravyn high fiving Aiden in front of both her and Jasper. "Alice, this is a serious matter."

Her smile faded and she rolled her eyes. "You are so persistent."

"Yes I am," I agreed.

"Jacob, they are adults," Renesmee argued.

"On Mac's school paperwork, I believe it said fifteen."

She sighed. "Jake, really. This isn't a big deal."

"Yes it is."

"Jake, look. I'm going to be straight with you. Yes, I know where they are, but no, I am not telling you. What I can tell you is that they'll be home around twelve thirty to one o'clock. And when they get home, try to be open minded." Alice shared a look with Nessie and I swear a whole conversation took place between them.

Nessie nodded minutely and I groaned. "Nessie, tell me you didn't know about this."

"About what?" she repeated naively.

I ran my free hand through my hair again. This whole family was going to make me need a shrink.

Suddenly Alice's eyes glazed over and she froze, everybody in the room following suit. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I had a feeling that whatever it was, wasn't good. Sweat was starting to bead on my forehead when Alice came to. Her face was expressionless and Edward burst through the door.

"Alice," he said. "Who were they?"

Alice didn't say anything. Instead her eyes glazed over again.

I turned to watch Edward's face, his lips tightening. This wasn't going to be good.

***

_~Wyatt's POV~_

My eyes fluttered open slightly. I was warm. No, I was hot. And sweating. However, I was so comfortable there was no way in hell that I would ever move. My eyes opened more and I noted the position I was in. My head was on Mac's chest which explained why the left side of my face was burning up. Her hands were buried deep in my hair, her legs wrapped around my lower back, ankles locked together. My arms were on either side of her, my hands flat against her naked sides.

In all honestly, this was the best way to wake up even though I felt as though I was in a sauna. Her smell was wrapped up in my nostrils, surrounding me, consuming me. It was all over the pillows, the sheets, my skin. The feel of her hands was imprinted on my body, tingling sensation rippling along my skin like electricity from just remembering the way she made me feel. From just remember the accounts of last night.

I lifted her left hand from my hair gently, not wanting to wake her. I froze when she stirred slightly. But she just relaxed after a mini stretch and my name fell through her lips on a sigh as her legs contracted and tightened around me before falling back to sleep, her lips upturned in a smile. I leaned down and kissed her knuckles, brushing my mouth over her ring.

I hadn't really meant to do it. At first. But everything I had told Kacey was true. I did want to marry Mac. I wanted it all with her. I saw us together, our life in my head, in my dreams. I hadn't truly come to that conclusion, but that afternoon, I knew that I had to do this. I knew that there was no way I would live without Mac in my life.

My thumb ran along the diamond from Tiffany's. I hadn't wanted to do it, ask her family for help. I wanted to be able to do it myself, but the little amount of money I was saving up for Hailey wasn't nearly enough for any kind of ring. So I went to Alice, intending to go to Jacob, but she wouldn't let me. Something about my safety and how he didn't need to help so she steered me to Renesmee and the three of us had worked together. Although, Alice and Renesmee had done most of it. They went online and with my help, picked out the ring, along with all of my clothes, refusing to let me use my own cheap clothes. I had chosen the restaurant, but Renesmee had been the one to suggest having it closed to everyone but us.

I lifted my head onto my chin, feeling her heart beat strongly beneath it as I gazed at her. Her head was to the side, her mouth open over so slightly, her breath fanning out onto the white pillow cases. I smiled, thinking how lucky I was, thinking about how much I loved her, how much I needed her. I turned my head back to the side and what I saw made all my blood leave my head and pool in my groin. Where my head was made my mouth dangerously close to her nipple. Feeling the pain and need for release, I opened my mouth and drew her taut peek into my mouth.

She jerked awake, a moan peeling through her throat, her hand tightening in my hair, her other lacing with the fingers that were wrapped up in her left hand. "Morning," she croaked lazily.

I grinned and bit her before licking away the ache. She whimpered when I pulled away. I kissed her, slipping my tongue into her mouth. She rocked her body against mine, moaning into my mouth, her fingers sliding down to my jaw where she pulled me away. I ignored her noises of protest, my mouth finding purchase on her neck.

"Wyatt," she gasped.

"Yes _mon amour_?"

"Wyatt," she said again, tugging my head up. She pushed my head away slightly as she spoke again. "I need to brush my teeth."

I laughed and kissed her full on the mouth but she wouldn't let me in. "Mac, I don't care," I insisted.

"But I do! I probably smell horrible!" she whined, wiggling against me in a way that made me want to never allow her to leave this bed. She wormed her self out of my arms and clutched the sheet to her chest as she ran to the bathroom, shutting the door.

I fell onto my stomach, yanking a pillow underneath my head. "Mac, you have got to be kidding me."

"Why is it they don't put tooth brushes and tooth paste in here? They give soap but that can't stock tooth brushes and tooth paste?"

I grinned, kicking the duvet off. Her warmth still permeated the sheets and my skin, making me warm even though she wasn't there. "Come back to bed!" I called.

"No!"

I groaned, shifting until I had my legs dangling over the edge of the bed, my feet hitting the floor. I scrubbed a hand over my face and my sleepy eyes. I glanced at the clock and it read four oh nine. I got up and shuffled my way to the door, turning the knob. "You have got to be kidding me," I repeated. "You the locked the door?"

"I didn't want any funny business from you." She sounded embarrassed. I realized that she was different around me then. Normally, she would have never allowed that kind of vulnerability to enter her voice while she spoke. Not even to her family. I felt an odd tugging at my heart but ignored it.

"Mac, please," I pleaded, softening my tone. "I didn't notice if you had morning breath or not."

"Yeah right," she muttered defiantly.

"You're going to make me go to drastic measures," I warned.

I heard a snort and grinned. I went over to the bedside table where her bobby pins sat from when I had undone her hair the night before. I picked one up, and straightened it until there was no bend in it. I went back to the door and began to pick the lock.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"I warned you," I reminded her.

"Wyatt, if you love me at all, you won't do it."

"Aww, _chérie_, it is why I love you that has me doing this."

I heard the lock click and opened the door to see a very angry MacKayla standing there in only a white sheet tied in a knot under her armpit. I wrapped my arms around her defiant body, kissing her curly covered head. "You shouldn't worry about little things like that, _mon amour_. There is no reason for it."

She sighed, her arms sliding around my waist, her face resting in the crook of my neck. "Do I really not smell?"

I laughed. "_Chérie_, smelling you makes me burn for you," I answered truthfully, pressing my hips into her so she could feel the evidence of my desire for her.

She gasped, her head falling back so she could look me in the eye. "Wyatt." My name fell like a benediction, like a prayer, and I heard the love behind it, the emotion all interlocked within the one word. "I love you."

I lifted her into my arms bridal style, carrying us to the bed. I fell backwards, allowing her to adjust, flittering to my side, her head in my neck, her hand moving up and down my chest, her nails scraping over my bare skin raising chills and goose bumps in its wake. "_Je t'aime trop_," I whispered into her hair, stirring the curls.

She snuggled deeper into my chest. "I love it when you speak French to me," she admitted.

"_Avez-vous_?" I asked, continuing.

She nodded. "I do."

"Go back to sleep," I instructed gently.

"Okay," she whispered, conceding.

Not until I had heard her breathing slow and deepen did I let myself succumb to sleep, holding her close to my chest so that she was imprinted on the outside and the inside of my heart.

_~Mac's POV~_

I laid awake in bed, tucked into Wyatt's side. My left hand rested on his chest so my ring could catch the light of the rising sun. It was beautiful. And big. It was surprising I wouldn't mind something as huge as it was, but the weight on my finger felt right. As if it belonged there. Because it did. I was never taking it off. Screw what people at school thought, it wasn't as if I ever talked to them and vice versa.

I looked up into his face. It was turned towards me so I could feel his breath falling onto my face. His arms were holding me tightly while my leg was thrown over one of his, intertwined. This feeling of intimacy, I never wanted to lose it. I had had no idea that being this way with another human being would be enjoyable. And it was. It was perfect and warm and made me feel loved.

Last night was the most perfect night. And it wasn't because of the restaurant or the ring. It was because I was finally able to show him how I felt inside and out. It was because I was finally able to drop everything protecting me so it could just be Wyatt and MacKayla. He had been so gentle, so loving, so attentive. Thinking about doing that with anyone else made me want to shrivel up and die. Made me want to throw up in revulsion.

My hand roamed up and down his chest, lower so I could feel his strong six pack beneath my fingers. I felt his stomach jump beneath my fingers and grinned when I felt his erection, thinking that even in his sleep he wanted me. My heart swelled.

"Mac," he murmured, his voice huskier then usual since he had just woken up. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What does it look like?" I whispered, hoping that my voice sounded sultry and alluring. "I am seducing my fiancé."

"Oh really. And what makes you think that it would work?"

I tentatively reached down with my hand and gripped his length earning myself a hoarse groan from him. "This little thing," I answered, moving my hand in up and down strokes.

"Little thing?" His eyebrows lifted. He leaned over me, pushing me onto my back. "I'll have you know it is not small or little in any way."

It really wasn't. "Okay, maybe I could say medium," I teased.

"No, definitely bigger then medium," he said, easing himself over me and between my legs, rubbing his "medium" thing against the spot where I wanted him most.

His mouth crashed into mine, his tongue licking the seam of my lips. I opened my mouth and sucked his tongue into my mouth while my hands quickened their strokes. He groaned loudly, reaching a hand down to fondle me playfully. I moaned and rocked myself against his hand.

"Wyatt," I breathed.

"Yes?" he panted, kissing his way to my breast, suckling strongly.

"Please," I begged.

"Please what, Mac? Tell me what you want me to do."

"Don't make me say it." My fingers left him to grip his head to me.

"Say it, _mon amour. _Tell me. _Dites mo ce que vous voulez_."

Fuck, he knew I was lost when it came to him speaking French to me. "Make love to me, Wyatt," I ordered.

I felt him smile against my breast. He grabbed another condom from the bedside table and quickly took it out of the protected pouch and slid it on. His lips trailed up to my neck as he surged forward, sliding into me. We both moaned. I was sore from last night, but I needed this. And it was easy to ignore the slight pain as he thrust into me with sure strokes. I lifted my knees against his hips and flipped him so that I was straddling him.

His hands fell to my knees and slid up to my hips as I began to ride him hard, needing to feel like this with him. Needing to _feel_. His hands on my hips aided my movements as I became frenzied on top of him. I could feel the coil building inside me and this time I knew what it meant.

Wyatt could feel it too and reached down between our sweaty bodies to where my clit was. He rubbed it and with a few sure flicks of his finger, I climaxed, falling on to his chest. He lifted his hips and thrust into me a few more times before he, too, came, his arms wound around me securely.

His hands ran up and down my back until finally resting on my ass. "You know, I love this," he said, squeezing my butt for added emphasis.

"Hmm," I answered, nearly purring with satisfaction.

"Yeah, and these." His hands moved to my breasts, cupping the smooth weights.

"Mmm." Damn, he had reduced me to incoherent sentences.

"But you know what my favorite thing is?" I hoped it was rhetorical, 'cause there was no way I would be able to answer him. I felt his hand lift to my hair, running gently through the strands. "Your hair. I could live in your hair and be totally happy."

I giggled, falling to his side. He turned to his as well and faced me. "I lied," he whispered.

I frowned, my fingers sliding over the length of his nose. "About what?"

"Everything," he breathed. My fingers moved to trace his eyelids and waited for him to continue. "There is no way I could pick something that was my favorite part of you. There I nothing I about you I don't love. Adore. Cherish. Hell, even worship."

"Wyatt…" I gasped, my fingers pausing.

"It's true," he said, lifting my finger to his mouth so he could nibble the soft pad of my finger. "I love you, _mon amour. Je t'aime._"

I kissed him, expressing my love for him, pouring all of it into the fuse where our lips met. "I love you, too," I whispered between kisses, tears pooling in my eyes and falling down my cheeks as he eased over me yet again.

***

Wyatt collapsed beside me, tucking me into his arms. I couldn't count the many of times we had made love, but it been enough to leave me drained and sore.

"What time is check out?" I asked not wanting to even move from his arms.

He turned around to his back to look at the clock. "Ah, now."

I sighed and hefted myself out of his arms to sit up. "I don't want to leave," I whispered as he returned to facing me.

He propped himself up onto his elbows and cupped my cheek. "I don't either. But hey, no, don't cry."

"I'm not," I denied, though it was somewhat a lie. To think that what was between us, what had happened between us last night would and could just go away made me really sad. Sad enough to actually cry even though I was not fond of crying, especially in front of someone. But he wasn't just someone. He was my imprint, my world, my whole damn life.

He sat up and gathered me up in his arms, setting me on his lap. "Two Socks, you are absolutely ridiculous," he murmured, an air of admiration and devotion evident in his tone of voice. His hands enfolded around my face, his thumbs wiping away any evidence of tears and vulnerability. "Why must you hide, _chérie_?"

"I don't," I answered, my arms sliding up around his neck, my fingers wrapping and unwrapping around the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck.

He laughed gently, nothing mocking about it. "Of course not, sweathart. We should get going though. Check out is in two minutes."

I nodded and reluctantly got up. We decided that we should take a quick shower and it was honestly a new experience. He shampooed my hair and took care washing my body, gently being careful of the soreness between my legs. For time sakes, he refused to let me wash him as well but said that one day I'll be able to.

This time, I drove, dropping him off at his house since Alice had driven his truck back to its spot in his driveway. We said our goodbye between extremely heated kisses but he never let go of me.

"I love you, Mac," he whispered, his lips feather light on my ring for the billionth time.

My breath fell out in a small, contented sigh. "Wyatt…"

"Yes, _mon__ amour_?"

I smiled and leaned down to replace my ring with my lips and kissed him sweetly. As I pulled away, he pecked my lips lovingly, his nose brushing each side of my nose. He kissed my nose, both my eye lids, my temples, and my forehead before finally uttering a real goodbye and exiting the car. I watched him shuffle up his cement steps, my heart in my throat as he blew me a kiss and went inside.

I drove home slowly, knowing the kind of wrath I would get from my family about all of this. For once, though, I did not seem to care. My heart was full to bursting of all the love I felt, of all the feelings Wyatt brought out in me. I needed him and he needed me, our joining a kind of perfect alchemy.

I pulled into my driveway, pressing a button on the visor to open the garage. Damn. I parked the car with care, knowing full well that this was my father's favorite vehicle. Which, said father looked up at me from where he was working on his Indian. He wiped his greasy hands on a towel and got up to a standing position.

"MacKayla Raine Black."

I winced, stepping out of the Lambo. "Dad," I whispered my greeting.

"Thanks for the call. Notice. For coming home finally."

"Dad, please –"

"Mac," he interrupted, "I get it, truly, I do. But a phone call would've worked. Letting me and your mother fucking know that you were fine and coming home the next realize your almost nineteen, I get that you have an imprint, however you live with your family, not alone, and there a people who care about you and –" He broke off, staring at my hand.

_SHIT! _I put it behind my back. "Thanks, Dad, that means a lot to me –"

"ALICE!" he yelled.

Alice flittered almost instantaneously. "Jacob Black, what is it?" she demanded in an irritated way.

He pointed to my hand. "How dare you –"

"Jacob, we have one day, and you are concerned about something like a ring?"

"One day till what?" I asked cautiously.

"We are getting visitors."

"The Volturi?" I guessed, alert and ready.

She shook her head. "No, but still vampires we have no reason to trust."

* * *

**Uh-oh, and the plot thickens. We have now reahed the up hill climb towards the climax and there is only about seven to ten more chapters, depending on my writing ability.**

**Review _s'il vous plaît!_**

**French Key:** _Je t'aime_**= I love you,** _mon amour_**= my love,** _cherie_**= an endermeant translated as sweatheart**


	15. New Friends

**I am so sincerly sorry for the long wait. Excuses are worthless, so all I'm going to say is that if you are still following my story, thank you so, so much. It really means a lot for you guys to forgive me for taking over a month to update.**

**More happier news, we reached 400+ reviews! Shucks, you guys!**

* * *

Chapter 15 – New Friends

_~Mac's POV~_

"Why can't we trust them?" I asked, playing with my ring behind my back. My father's eyes were still zeroed in on it, even though there was no way he could see it through my body.

Alice took a breath. "They aren't allowing me to see their futures, as if they know how to block my power." She shook her head. "I only know that it's a male and a female and that they drink human blood."

"That's it?"

She nodded, a look of frustration overtaking her small features. "I can't even figure out when they'll get here. All I can figure out is its tomorrow, so we were thinking of sending Emmett and Jasper to intercept them, but I'm only getting bits and pieces."

"Now that we've covered that," my dad practically spat, "you knew about her and Wyatt and didn't stop it or tell me anything."

I sighed and Alice all but exploded. "Jacob Black! Get over it! So they are getting married, so sorry that she's trying be happy. But you can't know every damn thing, okay? She's eighteen and so is he. They feed themselves, go to the bathroom themselves, and tuck themselves in without their parent's help. So why can't they fall in love without you always breathing down their necks? Just get over it already." She stamped off, rubbing her temples, slamming the side door of the garage shut as she did so.

"Wow," was all I said.

I risked a glance at my father and soon regretted it. A tender expression made his eyes look like they were watery. He stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. As if he hadn't really ever noticed me, like he had looked at me for all my life, but he was just now seeing _me_. He reached down and grabbed my left hand, gently tugging it from where it had been clasped behind my back with my other one.

His thumb stroked the diamonds as a single tear fell from his right eye, rolling down the crescent of his cheek and landing on the collar of his t-shirt. His hand shook in mine. "Mac…" he whispered an instant before he crushed me in his arms.

I gasped at the strength of the embrace, but wrapped my arms around him. His face was buried in my neck and I could feel the hot tears wet my skin.

"She was right." His voice was muffled by my hair. "I just didn't want you to grow up. Is that so wrong of me? Aiden grew up on me and Ravyn moved to Emmett… you are all I have left of my children, the one who looked up to me the most. And soon, you'll be lost to me as well, just like Aiden. You'll need Wyatt, and not your dad. I guess I have just been trying to keep you."

"Dad," I breathed, pulling back so he could see the truth in my eyes as I spoke the words. "Listen to me. You aren't loosing me. You never will. I'll always need you to be my father, and Wyatt can't give me that. Ravyn, Aiden, and I will always need you, no matter where we are, how old were are, or who we are with. You and the family are the only people who could ever love us unconditionally. You think we would give that up? You think we could ever forget you just 'cause we have imprints? Do you think mom forgot about Edward and Bella when she married you and had us? You can never forget your parents, Dad."

He smiled a wobbly smile. "Your right, I know you are. I was just selfish and refused to see the truth. It's sad that it took till now to really see that you aren't my little girl anymore, but an adult. An adult with her own mind and her own actions." He glanced down at the Tiffany ring on the fourth finger of my left hand. "Is getting married what you want to do?"

"Yes! I love him, Daddy. I need him in my life. Just like I need you and mom and Aiden and Ravyn in my life. He is just an addition to the family. He won't ever replace you in my heart."

"Then I suppose you have my blessing."

I screeched and threw myself into his arms, blubbering like the woman I was. "Daddy! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

He set me back on my feet, his thumb wiping away the happy tears that were resting on my cheeks. "I love you, sweetie." He kissed my forehead as I told him I loved him too. "And don't worry. I'm going to try and share you." He smirked. "But I can't make any promises."

_~Unknown POV~_

The pair were crossing through the forest of Mt. Rainier, running at breakneck speed through the trees, a blur to any other living creature's naked eye. One was a woman, wearing khaki pants and a parka, though she did not need warmth in the cold winter air. The other was a man, wearing matching attire, both with a backpack on their shoulders.

"You can't be certain that this plan will work," she murmured to her mate in a thick Russian accent.

The man laughed at her question, amusement at her doubt in him. "I am more then certain. There is no way the omniscient one can tell our motives for coming, and we know how to make sure not to have the wrong thoughts read by the mind reader. Do not worry so much, my love. It is not very becoming on such a beautiful creature such as yourself."

"Oh…" she breathed, slowing down with him so they could share a passionate kiss in the middle of the forest. The insects and animals screeched their revulsion at seeing such an act between the two.

He pulled back and smiled, his teeth gleaming white in the morning sun. "Soon we will rule this world. And you shall be my queen."

She clucked her tongue, her lips spreading up at the corners. "And you shall be my king."

"So I shall," he whispered, kissing so deeply he took the breath from her very lungs and into his. He stripped her shirt, bra, and parka off, watching her bare chest rise and fall with her harsh breathing, thinking they had some time to kill before continuing on their journey. His mouth attacked her throat as he repeated himself. "So I shall."

_~Mac's POV~_

The wind was rushing past me, a whirlwind as it assailed my body. I smiled behind the helmet, moving my wrist until my father's 1970's Indian was going ninety miles an hour down the highway. I loved the feel of adrenaline in my veins, the wind on my skin. It wasn't as fast as I could run in both my wolf and human form, but the roaring of the engine, the way I could take corners on this sleek bike made it just as good.

I was technically on my way to pick up Wyatt but I decided to take a longer way, driving the bike down a desolate and rarely used road. It made a U shape around his home, where it dead ended on his street. I pushed the bike to its limit as I reached a straightaway. One hundred and twenty miles an hour. I threw my head back and laughed exuberantly. I adored motorcycles. I'll have to remember to add one to my wish list.

I let up on the throttle as the road curved and let the engine go down to sixty as I reached the end. Stopping at the intersection, I noticed that Wyatt was waiting on his front porch for me. I made a left and pulled up his walkway. With a huge shit eating grin, I yanked my helmet off and ran into his arms, barley engaging the kickstand, and inhaled his warm masculine scent of sandalwood. His arms wrapped around me, his hands falling to my lower back. I pulled away and cupped his face, his hands sliding to my waist, his fingers splayed.

"Is it sad that after only three hours I miss you?" I asked as his lips claimed mine. I opened my mouth under his and his tongue snaked into my mouth, twirling the tango with my tongue. His hand smoothed down to my derriere and he lifted me up closer to his mouth, tilting my head back to deepen the kiss. My hand cupped the nape of his neck, the other tangled in his soft hair.

After a minute or two, we pulled away. Wyatt tucked me in under his chin, his sharp breaths stirring my sable curls. "No," he breathed, one of his arms around my shoulders, the other one slung low on the small of my back. Both my hands wanted retribution for earlier so I slid them into the back pockets of his dark washed jeans, my palms holding the curve of both his butt cheeks and squeezed. "I missed you the minute I shut the door to that Lamborghini."

I smiled knowingly as I pulled myself out of his arms reluctantly. He frowned. "Can't I hold you a bit longer?"

I grabbed his hand and started towards where my dad's bike was parked on his walkway. "C'mon, Wyatt. I want to watch the sunset with you. You can hold me while we ride."

His beamed at that little tidbit as he slid his helmet over his head while I kick started the old bike. He joined behind me after it rumbled to life, his arms coming around my waist as he snuggled up close, the heat coming off his body made my nerve endings tingle.

"Did I tell you that you look dead sexy in leather?" he purred into the microphone in his helmet.

I laughed as I turned onto Endresen Road. "No, but you can tell me again."

He repeated the words, only this time in French and I shivered, wishing that I could kiss him. Instead, I just rode harder down the one-oh-nine west, heading towards Ocean Shores. After about a forty mile drive, we parked and grabbed the blankets in the side bags and headed toward the sandy beach.

Wyatt splayed the blanket over the sand and sat down, wrapping another blanket around his shoulders. I sat down between his spread knees and leaned against his chest. His arms came around me, along with the blanket and he rested his chin on my head as we cuddled on the freezing cold beach. My body heat made the atmosphere under the blanket warm enough in the biting winter air of Washington State.

We gazed at the water, watching as the sun slowly inched its way down over the horizon. The sun made the small puffs of clouds purple, orange, and pink. Twilight was my favorite time of day. It represented the start and end of two things. The end of the day and the start of the night. And the way the sun made colors in the sky was the perfect transition.

Wyatt nuzzled the back of my neck, his mouth cold on my hot skin. My head fell back onto his hard shoulder, giving him greater access and permission to continue. Which he of course did.

The two of us were quiet for a long time, just enjoying the other's presence. I broke the comfortable silence, just as the sun was finishing its descent, the sky no longer bright blue. "It is so beautiful."

His arms tightened around my waist. "Yes."

I sighed, totally and completely relaxed in his warm embrace. My forehead turned into his neck, warming the skin there. "I love you," I murmured into his chocolate brown stubble that made my forehead tingle when he talked as it rubbed across the skin there.

"And I you," he whispered, his mouth drifted towards my lips.

His hand found mine beneath the blanket, his fingers entwining with mine. Which reminded me… "My dad gave us his blessing this morning," I announced as his lips kissed a path over my cheek and his finger rubbed the band of my ring.

"He did?" he asked, surprise mingling with his breath.

I nodded. "He caught me parking his car while he was working on his bike and he saw the ring. My aunt yelled at him for making it seem like such a bad thing and it made him have an epiphany."

"I'm glad. He was starting to piss me off," he revealed.

"Wyatt!" I scolded, swatting his lower stomach where a laughter was silently rumbling.

"What?" he laughed. "It's true. He couldn't seem to let you make your own decisions."

"I know, but he figured out that he needed to realize I was no longer his little girl. It was hard for him to grasp. And he was jealous. He and I were very close as I was growing up. My older brother always had Leah, and Ravyn, pissed that he had lost his brother to the whole imprint thing, buddied up with Emmett. He didn't want me lost to him too. But he's learning to share."

"Good." He claimed my lips with his, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. I sighed contently in his mouth and turned to mush in his arms. Mushier then mush. I was friggin' water.

We sat there for a little while longer, as the sky darkened considerably. We chatted idly, about nothing and everything. About how I wanted a dog and how he wished that he had a lawn mower to mow his lawn with. How sometimes I wonder if he thinks of me as I think of him, and he told me that I'm always on his mind, no matter what he's doing, so that there was good chance we thought of each other at the same time.

I kissed him for telling me that.

I was so relaxed with him, always so happy. It was in the way I felt in his arms, in the way his hand fit in mine, the way he understood me, the way he smiled everytime I came near him. As if just my presence was enough to make him happy. Make him feel whole.

When we said nothing, it wasn't awkward, but comfortable. When I told him the secrets of my heart, I was never nervous of his reactions. When we talked, we always understood the other.

Love was an amazing thing. Something I might never understand, but something I can always appreciate and accept. Revel and hold dear. There were times when I hated what I was, but when it came down to it, I was so glad. Without the imprint, Wyatt and I might not have ever been this way together. He might have stayed with Amber and I might have waited fifty years before branching out and dating someone.

To think that we might not have gotten where we did humbled me. Made me value everything. The way the sky was blue on a cloudless day. The way the stars sparkled like diamonds at night, how the wind howled and rustled leaves. Awed by nature's beauty, by the sound of the ocean waves hitting the shore, the buzzing of insect's wings, the sounds of birds in the morning.

And it always seemed to come back to my love for Wyatt.

For so long I had lived without realizing that I had never really lived. So long had I gone through my day to day activities without truly noticing the way my heart seemed to be missing something. I never knew what was missing till the day my eyes met Wyatt's and the emptiness had been filled in like plastering a hole in the wall.

My fingers tangled with his as I brought his hand to my mouth. I kissed the backs of his knuckles and held the back of his hand to my cheek, holding it there as we gazed at each other, not needing any words to express our feelings. He kissed my nose, his forehead pressing against mine, our eyes locked. I loved his eyes. Cobalt blue with a teal rim emphasizing the sapphire of his irises.

My cell phone buzzed, ruining the perfection of the moment. I groaned in irritation and reached down for the phone in my pocket. It was a text from Alice.

_Get home soon. I misinterpreted the vampire's timing. They'll be here in a within a few hours._

Shit. I sighed and then replied with an 'okay' and kissed Wyatt's cheek. I pulled him up and we walked hand in hand back to where I had parked the bike. The ride home was uneventful other then Wyatt making innuendos in my ear the entire time, making me wish we had time to pull over and have a serious make out session together. So, of course I fantasized about him the whole time which didn't really help my driving abilities.

I dropped him off and after a ten minute lip lock and an explanation of "do not leave this house until I tell you so" as well as a mini argument about my own safety, I went home, deciding against the long way since Alice had seemed rather urgent about wanting me home.

I pulled into the garage, alert as I heard the voices in the house, two of them unknown to me. I ran to the door off the side of the kitchen and stalked into the sitting room where two new vampires were perched on our white love seat.

"MacKayla," a stony faced Carlisle greeted. He sat beside Esme, Bella, and Emmett on the long couch. Jasper and Emmett occupied the doorway and Alice and Rosalie were standing in front of the window, both standing in wide stances as if they were trying to block the view from our visitors.

I inclined my head to him and sat between Aiden and my mother, waiting for an introduction. My mother's hand found mine and squeezed. _She was nervous._ I honed in on the newcomer's emotions, but all I got was anticipation. _Anticipation for what?_ I wondered idly.

"MacKayla," Carlisle murmured, "this is Oksana and Nikolai of Russia. Oksana, Nikolai, this is my daughter MacKayla."

Oksana sat, her arm wrapped in Nikolai's. Her blond hair was braided down her back and wore khaki pants and a parka, along with her dark haired companion. Both their eyes were dark red. "Remarkable!" she exclaimed in a deep and thick Russian accent. "She and Aiden both are dark skinned with green eyes! And Renesmee! Your eyes are such a warm brown!"

_What the hell is going on?_ I thought, squeezing my mother's hand tighter.

_Carlisle told them that you and I are half vampire half human. He doesn't want anyone to know what we really are. It's why dad isn't in the room since we look most like him. He, Ravyn, Seth, and Leah are patrolling_, Aiden answered in my head.

_Why doesn't he want anyone to know?_

_Incase it escapes to the Volturi._

That made sense. Still, the way Oksana and Nikolai were looking at me was beginning to make me nervous in a way that was difficult to do. Their anticipation for something was confusing and disconcerting. Not being able to know the why of the emotions was a huge inconvenience for me.

"Tell me, do your eyes ever change color? Even when you're thirsty?" Oksana wondered, leaning forward in her seat looking enthused in the conversation. However, she was restless and antsy. She put on a good show though.

"No," I answered truthfully. "And I personally prefer human food."

She gasped. "But you must drink, right?"

I hesitated slightly. "No, I don't" I wanted to say, but if I were not half werewolf, I would. "I do drink occasionally."

She looked skeptical, but sat back in a relaxed position. She wasn't fooling me for a second. "So what brings you here?" I asked.

"We were just passing through," the man said in an accented voice that was so deep it seemed like it could shake the foundations of the house. And both his tone and expression were cold and unfeeling. Oksana glared at him but he didn't seem to notice. He was too busy staring at me like he knew my secrets.

"Nikolai, be nice," she chastised in a gentle and almost teasing voice. It was so very fake.

He glanced at her. "My apologies." He got up and bowed, but as he sat back down, his expression didn't change.

"Well!" Esme exclaimed, breaking the ice. "How about I make you three some dinner." She motioned for Aiden, my mother, and I to get and follow her. Bella trailed behind us with Edward, both making up excuses and strode past Emmett and Jasper.

Aiden and I sat next to each other on the counter. Esme and Bella went to work in the kitchen, heating up some left over chicken parmesan. Edward leaned against the counter, looking very distracted.

I opened the mouth but Edward shook his head. "Pretend that everything is normal," he mouthed.

"How was your trip to the ocean?" Esme inquired gently. As if nothing weird was going on and we didn't have vampires with mysterious ulterior motives in our living room.

"Fine," I answered. "The sunset was pretty tonight."

"That's great! I'm glad you had a nice time. I know I need to get out one of these days. Maybe go to Isle Esme."

Edward smirked and looked towards Bella who had a private smile on her face as the two shared a glance briefly and Edward went back to being distracted.

Esme placed our plates on the counter in front of me and Aiden, and my mother, though she preferred to drink blood, and so did her taste buds, but she ate a small portion anyway. Bella set down two glasses of milk and I murmured my thanks. For some reason, Aiden and I had always favored milk with dinner, rather then water, or soda, or anything else.

Bella grabbed Edward's hand and gave him a reassuring smile. In response, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her temple, his forehead falling to her shoulder. She held him in silence. Like Wyatt and I, they didn't need words to converse. She knew what he wanted and he knew she understood why he was holding her. _How had I never noticed that?_

Esme rested her elbows on the granite counter and placed her head in her hands while he all ate making fake chit chat about nothing and stuff we had already talked about earlier in the day.

Oksana and Nikolai suddenly floated into the room in a way only vampires could do. Oksana clapped her hands together. "Carlisle said it was fine if we tried your diet, so Nikolai here and I are going out."

I went cold. _No_, my mind said. What if, without knowing they existed, ate my family out there? _Shit._

I glanced at Aiden and he nodded. "Well have fun!" I encouraged.

Oksana grinned. "Thank you, MacKayla Cullen." _Black._

The two went out the kitchen's sliding glass door. Edward started to follow but I stopped him with a hand on his chest and shake of my head. "Leave them to Aiden and me."

He nodded.

"C'mon," Aiden growled, straightening his clothes.

I cracked my knuckles and followed him out the door.

_~Seth's POV~_

_Would you stop being all depressed? Really?_

_Leah, I'll shut up when you stop mooning over Aiden's butt and how perfect it is._

_You just wish your ass was as great as his_, she snapped.

_Oh, yeah. Can't wait till I grow into my butt cheeks! _I yelled drolly.

_Will the two of you quit it?_ Jacob ordered, though not being our alpha any more, it didn't really have the same effect. _We're on patrol here. And Leah, sorry, but ew. He's my son._

_Sorry._

Ha! Yeah right. Like Leah would ever be sorry for making Jake uncomfortable. Besides, her snickering a very wolfy snort was a dead give away anyway. And Jacob knew it.

_Ravyn, some help here?_

_Huh? What are you talking about?_

_You weren't paying attention?_

_Not really. Aiden's naked ass isn't all that appealing so I was busy staring at the stars._

_Are you even patrolling?_

_Sure. Just sitting down while I do it._

Dear God. And I thought I was obnoxious when I was younger. At least I wanted to patrol. All Ravyn ever does is pull pranks on everyone and chase the skirts of any willing chick. It was sad. I got that all out of my system by the time I was twenty one.

My feet padded along the soft, cold ground while I tuned out the other's argument about Aiden's butt and Ravyn being a dumbass. It wasn't hard to do at my age. I had quite a bit of experience learning to tune everyone out. I was never totally alone in my mind but it was like being in a room filled with people. You can hear their voices, just not their words. After a while you get used to how strange it is.

I paused and glanced up at the sky. Ravyn was right. It was pretty beautiful. In the forest, with no lights around, you could see everything. I'd always loved to stare up into the sky at night in the middle of nowhere. You saw so much that way and feel so small when you realize just how large the universe is.

I sighed and trotted to where a small creek traveled through the property line. I was tried of feeling this way. _Depressed_. I despised that word. It's not like I was going to go cut my wrists, but it made it difficult to be happy. Is it weird that sometimes I like to listen to emo music? No. But try telling that to Leah.

She thinks I need to be on suicide watch. Ha! I don't have the _cajones_ to kill myself. Besides, it would kill my mom and sister if I were to ever die. And even dead, I would never be able to forgive myself for hurting them.

Especially if I left an imprint out there. She would be happy married to someone she loved, but at the same time she would know what was missing. I would rather castrate myself then do that to my soul mate. And do you know how they castrate people? Do you? Sometimes they do it with a thin wire and sometimes they do it with a sharp implements, it depends on the person doing the castration. That is just brutal. I happen to value my special man pieces.

Wanting to be alone with my thoughts, I phased and plopped down on a large boulder.

I just hope that I find her before my or her time is up.

Lost in my emo thoughts, as Leah likes to put it, I didn't hear anyone approach. However, suddenly cold metal bit into my temple.

"Don't move or I'll kill you," a deep accented male voice ordered.

_Fuck_. He had a gun and if he pulled the trigger, I would be dead. I might be able to heal fast, but I would never be able to live through a bullet to the brain. I swallowed. I was in deep shit here.

"What do you want?" I asked, wondering if I could turn back into a wolf before he shot my head off.

"The Volturi are afraid of you werewolves. I want you to gather up all of your brethren so that you can help me and my mate slaughter the damn Volturi. Then we shall rule. So, will you help me? Or will you die?"

I was running out of things to say. Crap. This was so not good. If I could phase, would he have the time to put the bullet in my brain, or places where I'll heal enough to survive? If I were to try and turn, startle him, and we fought with me as a human and him with a gun? No, that wouldn't be a good idea. He's a vampire. Vampires have great aim. I was screwed.

My heart started to beat faster as a million thoughts raced through my head. And it was then when I learned I was so not ready to die yet. There was no way I could leave my mom and my sister. No way I was gonna leave my imprint out there.

_Fuck dying. I don't wanna die!_

Suddenly, the vampire turned and pulled the trigger. I instantly phased and attacked, looking to see where Aiden lay, his arm bleeding. I howled and threw the vampire to the ground. I fell on top of him, shredding his shirt as I raked my claws down his body.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a snow white wolf emerge. Mac took the vampire by the neck and ripped his head from his shoulders, snarling as she did so. I helped as I ripped his arms and legs from his body and threw it onto the quickly growing pile of limbs. I phased into my human form and reached into Aiden's pocket to pull out a lighter. For some reason, lately, he had been carrying one around, but I have no clue why.

I threw some branches between the flesh as well as on top and set the top and any other branches I could see on fire. I pulled on a pair of shorts as did Mac who then went to apply pressure to Aiden's arm.

"Holy fuck, that hurts," Aiden breathed.

Mac slapped the back of his head. "Quit being a baby." She said it in a chastising tone but the way her hands shook belied her tone of voice.

Then everyone was there, except Ravyn, who was apparently chasing after the vamp's mate. Leah cried as she held Aiden as if he were dying. However, he wasn't dying. He would be fine by tomorrow morning. But boy, he ate up all the attention.

The only thing everyone didn't seem to notice was how shaken up MacKayla was. So I went over and pulled her into my arms where she continued to trembled. Her hands were on her face and I had a feeling she was crying, but I couldn't figure out why. That leech was insane and a total bastard. In my opinion, he deserved to die. And then some.

Ravyn came back just as we all got back to the house where Carlisle was going to remove the bullet from Aiden's bicep. "Couldn't catch her," he growled. "The bitch's scent was lost when I reached the one-oh-nine. Must have hitched a fucking ride."

That wasn't good. If we had a pissed off vampire and its mate's ashes in the backyard, that was cause for a war. Well, in her mind.

Damn. We seem to have the worst luck.

* * *

**Please review! And I'll make sure that I update sooner. Honest.**

**So review, _s'il vous plaît?_**


	16. Trembles

Chapter 16- Trembles

_~Mac's POV~_

I couldn't stop shaking. My teeth were rattling, my skin covered in goose bumps, my breath was coming out in hyperventilating gasps, and sweat was beading on my forehead and upper lip. But I could not stop. It hurt and I was ashamed of it but I couldn't stop. If I hadn't. . .

Aiden hadn't really been paying attention like he should have. He didn't notice the gun, he didn't notice what the leach was saying, he didn't know how far off the others were. He was too focused on Seth, knowing he couldn't loose him. Knowing that Leah couldn't loose him. The only thing going through his head was the word "No" and a picture of Seth lying dead on the ground in a pool of crimson blood. He only felt his heart shatter.

He was too distracted to see where he was going. Too distracted to walk like a vampire and make sure you don't make a sound. He had forgotten everything ever taught to us because he let emotions get in the way. And it would've killed him.

I had seen everything. The glint of the Glock, the hatred, the fear, anxiety, determination. Will. I heard what Nikolai said. He wanted to use the wolves as a surprise attack on the Volturi so they could rule. He had waited until he had seen Seth phase, just to be sure.

Aiden had been in front of me, but he didn't know what to do. He had just stopped and stood still, frozen, his mind blank. Then, finally, he rushed forward, but without care. He crushed leaves, twigs, bugs. The vampire whirled and I saw it happen. Vampires don't miss. Vampires have the ability to aim anything without looking and it will hit their target. In that instance, I knew Aiden wasn't using his powers. Wasn't aware of the situation and how dire it was. Was hardly aware of his own fucking heartbeat and harsh breathing.

As vampires, you can process things in slow motion. The vampire whirled around and within a nanosecond shot the Glock, sending a slug into the air. And I reacted immediately. There was no way we could avoid the bullet. Impossible. But I refused to see my brother dead from a gun shot to the head. I ran toward him in a flash, yanking him by his bicep to the side, hoping to get out of the way. He stood straight up, his eyes large and round in surprise, and it was only then I had noticed he had been in a fighter's squat, ready to launch himself at that SOB and rip him apart, scatter the limbs and dose them with gasoline.

Aiden howled as the slug tore through his arm. I heard tendons rip and sinew whine in protest of the invasion but I had saved him. Aiden fell to the ground and I phased instantly, running at the vampire without haste. I grabbed him by the neck before he could blink and ripped it from his shoulders.

Seth, after crying out in sympathy for Aiden, whipped into action. I used my powers to help Seth tear the vampire's limbs from his body. Seth went back to Aiden and rooted around in his pockets, his face and eyes serious on the task at hand. Aiden had decided to start carrying a lighter around for this precise moment, though I also knew it was 'cause he sometimes liked to smoke cigars with my dad after dinner while sitting on the porch swing.

I sat back on my haunches and watched as Seth lit the body on fire. Yet all I could see and feel was myself panicking. He had died before my very eyes. Blood rushed through my veins, leaving me feeling oddly cold and bereft. He would've died tonight. Leah would have been all alone in life again. My mother and father… Ravyn and I… All of it would have been over.

I phased back behind some trees and slipped a cotton dress over my head. It was the easiest thing to do, it was only one piece of clothing, and yet it covered everything. I came back into the small clearing where Seth was crouched low over Aiden. I ran forward and Seth moved to stand. I fell down beside my brother and ripped the hem of his black cotton long sleeve t-shirt so I could wrap it around his upper bicep.

"Holy fuck, that hurts," he breathed, his face scrunched as he winced at the sharp, shooting throb.

I swatted the back of his head with a shaky hand, trying to stay calm even though my brain was headed for a cluster fuck of mass proportions. "Quit being a baby."

I applied pressure on the wound and Aiden breathed in and out carefully. Any time now, everyone would arrive. Then I would be left alone to have my nervous breakdown. And it was then when I realized that this was probably what I made everyone feel like when I was injured. The only thing I could see was Aiden dead. If I hadn't been prepared, if I hadn't been there…

I choked back a wrenching sob. My throat burned and I blinked really fast, trying to dissolve the feeling of helplessness, the blurring of wetness, the pain in my heart. Aiden glanced up at me and his pain filled face softened. "Mac," he whispered, his voice barely audible even to my own ears.

I shook my head just as everyone burst into the clearing. "I'm fine," I mouthed to him.

"Aiden!" Leah and my mother screamed. Leah bolted like a skittish calf, falling to her knees where she slid in the dirt until her things bumped into the side of his left rib cage, nearly plowing me over in her haste.

My mother knelt down, much more gracefully, beside him, clutching tightly to his hand while Leah undid my makeshift band-aid of sorts. I stood up, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. Everyone was crowded around Aiden now. My dad was beside my mother, speaking rapidly to Carlisle who seemed very upset, yet not at all surprised.

Seth was still standing next to the fire. He took one look at me and his brows furrowed. He opened his arms and I ran straight at him, hoping over a large log until my face was buried in my hands against his chest. His arms went around me and he murmured reassurances in my hair. I was shaking, trembling, dying inside. Because I couldn't get the image out of my head. Aiden was alive and well. Yet my mind seemed to ignore it.

***

_~Unknown POV~_

The woman pressed the accelerator to the floor, pushing the blue mini van as fast as it would go. She turned the radio on loud enough to drown out any other sound and she sang the lyrics to the old forties song. Her thumb tapped the steering wheel in time to the slow beats as she weaved in and out of traffic, the humans honking their irritation and protest to her very erratic driving.

"Ugh," she complained, sniffing the air with a snobbish facial expression, though to be honest, no one was there to witness it. She never liked the smell of decaying bodies. Without blood, they were not appealing and extremely revolting to her heightened senses. But what to do with them?

She had run into some luck earlier, while dashing for her damn life. Again. While running away from her enemy, she hit a highway. A car had been driving by and she hoped in front of it, internally willing the human to stomp on the brakes. The driver had stopped the car and the vampire had quickly disposed of them, breaking their necks to save for later, since she was in a bit of a time restraint for indulgence.

She wasn't good with the area, only being in it for an hour at most so she plowed south, figuring that it was towards civilization. She pulled onto I-12 east and towards I-5. She didn't have a plan, though, and that would be, in the end, her downfall of sorts.

After about thirty minuets of driving, she pulled over and had some "dinner" before piling the mother and two kids in the backseat. Unfortunately, the smell of the decomposing bodies was irritating the vampire and she needed to figure out what to do with them.

She glanced over at the river as she passed at one hundred and ten miles an hour. She looked over her shoulder at the bodies and her smile grew, stretching her pale face. Ah, now this plan might suffice.

She pulled off the road and drove through trees until she reached a secluded lake. She stopped immediately, got out, and strapped everyone in with their safety belts. Wouldn't want them to get hurt, right? She got back in and turned the stereo off. Her foot slammed on the accelerator and she gunned it, driving at ninety miles an hour into the lake. She kept her foot on the accelerator, trying to keep the car as far away from the beach as possible. The car managed to get at least thirty feet where it stopped, stalled, and then just died.

The vampire smiled, holding her breath, and opened the door, allowing the water to rush into the car with a whoosh and she swan up to the surface. As she swan, she thought over what had transpired within the past hour. Her mate's plan backfired, as she knew it would. As she had told him it would, but he was so sure of himself, so sure of his plan, that he refused to even acknowledge her complaints. Her heart broke into the thousand pieces for the umpteenth time that night. What would she do now? She was already lonely, so used to having him in her presence. Her skin, already chilled from her existence, grew colder somehow, her heart cooled. Felt black.

She could go after the person who did it. That was always a possibility. But she knew he wouldn't want that nearly as much as fulfilling his dream. And so now, there was only one way to accomplish that.

Once she reached the shore, she didn't bother to stop. She started running east, whispering endearments to her deceased husband, her mind forming different strategies. She would not fail this. She would not fail her mate again.

_~Mac's POV~_

"The bullet was made of silver," Carlisle announced, walking into the sitting room where we all sat, with the exception of my mother and Leah, awaiting Carlisle and Aiden. He smelled faintly of blood and Aiden's unique scent of apples and pine trees in the summer.

"Silver?" Esme questioned, her brows puckered.

Carlisle nodded, taking a seat beside her, his hand falling to her knee. "I believe that Nikolai assumed it was the only way to kill a werewolf. I'm sure that he thought them to be the Children of the Moon, thus needing a silver bullet to get one out of your way."

"Which explains why he was packing," Emmett drawled, leaning his back against the wall.

"It makes sense thought," Jasper mused. He was perched on the edge of a white sofa, Alice's hand in his. His thumb moved over the back of her hand, idly making patterns in her pale skin, without seeming to do so.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, glancing up at him. "What are you thinking?"

Jasper's eyes were distant, in the past as he answered her, looking down into her golden eyes. "Using the werewolves as a surprise attack. The Volturi do not have a vampire who is omniscient as you are." Jasper looked up, talking to the rest of us. "It would've been a smart move. They wouldn't have seen it coming. The way Nikolai was positioned with us around him, I recognized him as a former member of the military. He might have seemed relaxed to all of you, but to me, I saw it. His eyes would routinely scan the room. I'm sure his mind was going over ways to get through all of us if the need were ever to arise. It's a normal thing for people like us. To always expect the worst out of everyone because of what we have seen. I'm sure he had his plan down to a T."

Jasper looked thoughtful now, looking about the room, his eyes touching every one of our faces. "I must say that his plan might have worked had he known anything about werewolves. And if he had gone to werewolves who did not know who to dismember a vampire."

Edward shook his head. "His mind was only thinking of trying our way of life. Though his thoughts did not match his facial expressions."

Jasper looked directly at Edward, his face a smooth mask of calm. "What can you get from me right now?"

Edward stared at Jasper, a mixture of shock and apprehension widening his eyes and opening his mouth into the form of an O. "Nothing," he whispered.

The entire room was silent. Jasper grinned. "I learned that there is a spot in my brain you can not read. But I do not know if it is the same for everyone. I believe that if you have been through true hardships, and had to escape into a safe place in your mind, where you need to feel safe, to pretend that reality isn't happening, then, it is a place you cannot read, but I don't know the 'why' of it. Don't you sometimes have troubles reading Wyatt?"

I gasped, glancing at Edward. He shrugged. "Sometimes even Carlisle. And Esme. Rose…" he trailed off, his eyes touching everyone in the room. "Jasper, I think… I think you are right. I can always read Emmett. And Mac. Ravyn and Aiden, even Seth and Leah. Because they haven't had to escape inside their heads."

"Remarkable," Carlisle breathed. "Edward how have you never voiced this? Same with you, Jasper. This is quite astonishing!"

_Ow…_

Ravyn and I sat ramrod stiff against the couch. All eyes were suddenly on us but we hardly noticed.

_Ow…_

Then I was hit with the pain. It sliced through my arm from my wrist to my shoulder, but I had had worse, though in all honesty, it was a bad one and a close second to when I had been attacked by a vampire at thirteen. Carlisle had had to go in and repair the tendons of his bicep that had torn and badly misshapen his sinew. The bullet was oddly shaped and had little barbs on the sides so it could perform severe damage upon impact and invasion.

_Aiden?_ Ravyn asked hesitantly, a moan of pain imbedded in his voice and head.

_Do the two of you have any idea what it feels like to have your arm feel as if it were turned inside out? Do you? Because it hurts like a son of a bitch._

Ravyn and I laughed in loud, relived bursts, just because we knew he was awake, and his cranky 'ole self was back to pester us. I was still shaky, still unsure of myself, but I would take care of that later. All I would focus on now was that Aiden was alive. That he was still there to tease me, and live with me, and love me. That was all that was important right now.

"Well, I guess that means that Aiden is awake," Carlisle announced, standing up and leaving the room. Jacob followed after him, what with Leah and my mother already with Aiden, since they had refused to leave his side.

"Alice, do you know what Oksana is going to do now?" Rose asked, now focusing back on our previous discussion.

I wanted badly to get up and go to Aiden but I could wait. I knew I could wait. My leg started bouncing but I made it stop. My forefinger began tapping my thigh. I stilled it, balling my hands into fists and fell back amongst the cushions, listening only half intently to the conversation. Until Alice answered Rose's prier question.

"No," Alice muttered, sounding utterly annoyed bi it. "However, I have a feeling we'll know soon enough."

A quiet fell over the room. And I wondered idly if other vampires had it as bad as we did.

***

I crawled in Wyatt's window, taking care of the fact that his dad was asleep somewhere inside. I had texted him, asking if Hailey was going to be there tonight. It was a Saturday night, and Hailey always spent Fridays and Saturdays at a friend's house.

Wyatt was waiting for me, sitting on his bed. I quietly stepped onto the scuffed up floorboards and shut the window. I turned on my heel and catapulted myself into Wyatt's arms, forcing his back against the bed.

He laughed quietly, his fingers tunneling into my mass of dark curls. "Two Socks, there is no need to rush," he whispered into my ear before he tenderly kissed the hollow beneath, obviously oblivious to my depressed mood.

I buried my face in his neck, inhaling his scent and letting it wash over me. And I let go.

"Mac?" Wyatt asked, concern dripping in his voice, as well as fear.

The shaking started up again as the tears pooled and then fell like a waterfall down the crests of my cheeks and into the crease of his neck and collarbone. I began hyperventilating, my chest hurting from the lack of oxygen.

Wyatt pulled away, sat up, and grabbed my head in his hands. My hair fell around us, forming a black curtain as I leaned into him, trying to once again bury my face in the comfort of his body. "Shhh," he whispered, wiping at my cheeks with his thumbs while I sobbed like a little kid who had fallen and scraped their knee. "Shhh, stop this. You are going to make yourself sick. Breathe in evenly. Take deep breaths and let it them out slowly." He kissed my cheeks, my eyelids, my nose, He stayed there, his mouth pressed against the corner of my mouth.

"In." He drew in a breath with me, his eyes staring directly into mine. "Out." I was hit with his warm breath as he was hit with mine. "In. Out. In. Out." He repeated himself until my breathing had dramatically calmed and the tears had slowed. And I realized I was spent.

"There," he whispered. He kissed my forehead, both my eyes and cheeks again. I sighed and leaned into him, still crying but at a more controlled level. Funny, as an empath, I had control of my emotions. Yet, tonight he was in control of them.

I took in a quaky breath and sat back on his lap. I gently pushed my face against his chest, feelings his arms wrap securely around me, holding me there against him. His head fell onto my shoulder and we sat there in the stillness of the night.

Eventually we both fell back onto the mattress. I was sprawled on top of him, taking in his scent and warmth. His hand was in my hair again and I decided that he was quite taken with it. His other hand was slung low on my back. He had pushed my shirt up (I had changed out of the dress and into sweats and t-shirt before I left) so that my lower back was exposed to his questing hand. His palm was open and I could feel the calluses of his fingers catch on my skin every now and then as he rubbed up, down, and to the side calming me even more.

I breathed out a contented sigh as his mouth drifted over my hair, my ear, my face. His hot breath landed everywhere, causing nerve endings to twitch and come alive in its wake. My hands were down at my sides, resting against the mattress and sheets, and I figured that maybe I should remedy that. I lifted them, keeping my head in his neck, and ran them lightly over his sides. I grinned at his shiver and continued until they were traveling his shoulders, feeling the muscle bunch beneath.

"Mac," Wyatt breathed. It seemed a mixture of _stop, we need to talk_ and _oh dear God, don't stop. _I liked the second one, but no, he was all for the first. "Mac, will you talk to me first?"

I pressed my face harder against his skin, willing myself to just dissolve into him. I blew out a gust of hot air, rubbing my forehead lightly against the stubble of his neck and jaw line until it began to chafe my face.

"Please?" he murmured, nibbling on my ear lobe, knowing if he did that, I would bend to his every whim. Well mister, two can very well play that game.

I sat up, my legs falling on either side of him, straddling his hips. I leaned back ever so slightly and slumped forward slightly with a pouty face on. "I don't really feel up to talking. However," I whispered, trying to be sultry and seductive, rubbing against his growing member, "it appears _you_ are up for something. And I doubt it has anything to do with talking."

"_Mon dieu, _MacKayla!" he cursed. He grabbed my hips in his hands, halting my movements against him. "No, Mac, no. We are talking first."

"I don't think you want to do that." I leaned down and nibbled his neck. He moaned, the vibrations tingling my lips and I could barely suppress a grin from flashing.

"Mac…"

"Yes?"

"Stop. Now."

I groaned in irritation and rolled off of him, on to my side, facing away from him. We were both silent, the only sound that could be heard was our heavy breathing.

I knew that he wanted me to talk, to explain myself. Yet, I wasn't sure I could without falling apart again. Was there a way that I could convey what my heart was screaming, if my mind refused to have to relive it? Was there a way to tell him without feeling scared, alone, heartbroken?

I was used to being alone in a way, sure. I mean, I had my brother and my parents and my family, but there wasn't always someone I could lean onto. But I have Wyatt now. If I truly needed a crutch, I know that he would be there. He would catch me when I fell, no matter what. He would stand beside me, holding my hand if I needed him to do that. If I needed him, he would be there for me.

So I could just voice it aloud, if I could just tell him…

The memories were still so raw. Still so _there_, in my head, in my heart, that it burned like acid in my throat. The sight, the thought of losing Aiden… it was crushing. I could feel part of my soul shrivel up and die at the thought, at the image. But Aiden was alive. Maybe, if I would just keep that in my head, picture him smiling, I would not break into a thousand pieces scattered all over the floor in a bloody mess.

"Aiden almost died tonight." There. Wait, was he even able to hear it? I barely heard it.

I felt the bed dip as Wyatt shifted. And then he was there, just as I knew he would be. He nestled up behind me, his face in my shoulder, his hand on my hip and his body pressed alongside the length of mine. "What happened?" It was simple. No, "I'm so sorry" or "How terrible, just "What happened?" And it was exactly what I needed.

"Remember the vampire I told you about?" I felt him nod. "Well, there was two of them. A female and her mate. They were interested in our way of life, that my family feeds only on the blood of animals. But their emotions didn't match what they were saying. So when they announced they were going to go and taste some animals to try and see if they would like it, Aiden and I went after them.

"See, Carlisle was worried they might go to the Volturi and tell them –"

"Volturi?" he interrupted. I could practically hear his brows knitted together.

"They're basically like our… police officers. So, Carlisle was afraid they would go to the Volturi and tell them that my brothers and me are half vampire and half werewolf, so he withheld the information and my dad, Seth, Ravyn, and Leah were out on patrol. Aiden and I followed, in case the newcomers decided to snack on our family.

"We followed them until the female went to catch a deer. Yet, the male did not go with her. Aiden followed him, and I followed the female. I felt fear and loss and bolted towards where Aiden was, linking my mind up to his. Nikolai, the guy, had had a gun pressed against Seth's head, threatening to shoot."

I swallowed and drew on Wyatt's strength. "Aiden freaked. Seth is Leah's little brother. No way was his imprint going to lose her brother. So he let emotions get in the way. The vampire turned and fired."

Tears were threatening to fall. I could feel them, see them blurring my vision. "You said he was okay, though," Wyatt said, silently encouraging me, while his hand rubbed soothing circles on my hipbone.

"Yes. I had jerked him enough that the bullet only went in through his arm. But it was painful. We learned later that the bullet had little spikes all over it and Carlisle had to perform surgery on Aiden to repair the damage."

"And the vampire?"

"Seth and I killed it."

We were silent again. The quiet was awkward, what with my tears and my brokenness. Wyatt finally broke it. "I was late getting home one night a few years ago," he said, taking a deep breath. "My baseball practice went longer then expected because we had been messing around towards the end of it. Coach made us run laps around the field, making us a half hour late. Then my buddies wanted to chat and ignored me when I told them that I really needed to get home.

"The minute I had the chance, I hoped into my truck and sped the entire way home. But it was too late. I was forty-five minutes late and my mother and already beaten Hailey for it. I'll never forget the sight of Hailey huddled in our bedroom, her face mutilated. And it had happened Friday before spring break, so it meant that she wasn't going to have to go to school and lie about what happened. However, she wouldn't be able to go to a friends house either. And our bitch of a mother had planned it that way

"I told her I would quit but she refused. Said that since I get beaten so much for her, that she was glad she could repay the favor. And I had just thought 'God, if I had only been on time, all of this would never have happened."

We were silent again until I rolled over to face him. I cupped his cheek in my hand and gently laid a closed mouth kiss to his lips. "I understand," I whispered.

He nodded. "You can't change what happened. You can't keep wishing that you could change it. Just except it and move on, or it will eventually destroy you."

I fell into him and he turned over to his back. My hand snaked around his waist, my head on his chest listening to his deep breathing and the tune of his heart. My leg lifted and wrapped itself around one of his as his arm went around me, holding me to him.

"I love you Wyatt," I murmured, my eyes becoming heavy from the day's hardships.

"_Je t'aime_, Mac, _je t'aime_."

And when I fell asleep in his arms, all I dreamed of was him.

* * *

** I told you guys I would get it out faster then last time.**

**Review! =]**


	17. Trust Me

Chapter 17- Trust Me

_~Mac's POV~_

February flew by with little notice. After Wyatt helped me get over my Aiden issue, the days seemed to just whiz by us. Alice didn't get any visions of Oksana and what her intentions toward us were, which greatly unnerved her. She knew that Oksana was doing it on purpose and the not knowing of the entire situation seemed to make things worse on her. She was always agitated and easy to fits of rage. The only people that can seem to keep her from attacking all of us were Jasper and Edward.

Due to the high level of uneasiness in the house, Wyatt and I were most usually anywhere else. With him, I could forget that outside of our little world there was a vampire with a grudge against us. I could forget the fact that he was human and my time with him was most likely going to be cut short. I didn't have to think about the impending doom that my family attracted like moths to a flame.

Being with Wyatt always gave me a sense of peace, of being home. He was a fresh breath of air like the breeze at a beach on a hot summer day. He was one of the very few people that I didn't have to put up a front with and it put me at ease. One touch from his hand in mine was all it took for me to relax and fall against him. I was putty whenever he was around and he knew it too.

The only thing about February that I dislike is the fact that it gives way to March. I don't usually care about my birthday, but it reminds me that Wyatt is human and the older I get, the older he gets. I didn't like that feeling. I never once thought that finding an imprint would inflict such strong emotions within me. It was hard to grasp the fact that I had fallen and had fallen hard. Every day that goes by, I seem to lose myself more and more to my heart. Something I never thought would occur.

With a sigh, I stared out my window overlooking the forest as the sun gave way to the darkness, allowing the stars to shine against the backdrop of a black canvas. I could feel that something was going to happen. Something I wasn't going to like. And if I could tell this change in the atmosphere, so could Alice. Which meant she was soon going to be on a rampage.

I stifled a yawn and continued to change into shorts and tank top before slipping beneath the covers of my bed. Yet I couldn't seem to close my eyes. Something big was coming and it gnawed a hole in my stomach.

***

Wyatt picked me up for school the next day; only he drove my Mustang instead of his beat up '70s truck. He smiled at me as I tossed him the keys with a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek. However, he slung his arm along my lower back and caught me against him, his lips tickling mine while Ravyn made gagging noises behind his hand and Aiden and Leah just smirked knowingly.

Wyatt kept his hand in mine on the drive to Hoquiam High. I found that Wyatt had a tendency to speed (which I already knew, but he was never driving _my_ car). I winced and tightened my fingers in his when he took a turn too tight and heard faint squealing of the tires with my sensitive hearing. He squeezed back, his eyes full and dancing with mirth and amusement. I took a very deep breath and managed a smile for him.

He quickly glanced at me briefly while speaking. "Am I making you nervous?" he wondered in astonishment, his eyes now back on the winding road. "I've driven with you before, and if I remember correctly, you didn't mind."

"You weren't driving my car at the time. And I'm fine."

He glanced at the rearview mirror while he seemed to be lost in thought. We accelerated ten miles per hour above the speed limit.

"Wyatt," I bit through my teeth.

He flashed a grin, his features turning boyish. "Do you trust me?"

I scowled at him. "You really have to ask that?"

"No, do you trust me with your car?" he corrected himself.

I hesitated slightly before answering. "Yes. Of course."

His grin blew to a full-blown shit-eating grin. "I was hoping you would say that." He glanced in the mirror again; his foot applying more pressure to the gas peddle.

"Wyatt?"

"Sorry. You said you trusted me."

"I do. I'm just curious as to what you're doing."

"Does Emmett drive a huge ass Jeep?"

"Please don't race with Emmett. We'll be at the school in under a minute if you keep this speed up."

His eyes landed on me for a second, then moved back on the road. His fingers tightened. "You ruin all my fun." He pouted and I found it so sexy that I leaned over and kissed the underside of his jaw, his whiskers prickling my lips. I would've kissed him if I knew we wouldn't get in a wreck.

"Mackie," he whispered, pulling our intertwined hands up so he could graze that back of my knuckles with his mouth. I had almost never heard him call me Mackie. I was surprised.

He pulled into the parking space as far away from the school as possible, though I had no idea why. He flew off his seat belt and unbuckled me. Faster then I thought any human could go, he had pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him and his lips were harsh on mine.

He made a guttural, animalistic sound in the back of his throat, his hand slipping up my shirt to caress the bare skin of my back as my hands shot into his hair. His tongue slid across my bottom lip and that was all the invitation I needed. I opened up to him and sucked his tongue into my mouth, enjoying the groan that it elicited.

I could feel his erection between us and I found myself grinding against him, feeling hot moisture pool between my legs, a dull ache turning into desire so potent I had completely forgotten we were in my car. On the school parking lot. For anyone to see.

His hands on my hips and ass were guiding my thrusts as his lips left mine to trail kisses down my throat. We hadn't been together since he had proposed and I realized that it had been way too long.

"Wyatt," I moaned, growing increasingly breathless. I could feel his heart beating against my aching breasts. A tingle that began at my toes raced up my body, centering in my core.

"God MacKayla," he breathed, his lips moving back to mine, dominating them in a way that had me writhing above him, moving as fast as possible.

Just as his hands reached the clasp of my bra, someone knocked on the window. I nearly screamed. I had been so close to my release and I was about ready to kill whomever it was that interrupted.

"Shit," Wyatt muttered, his hand sliding out from under my shirt. I nearly whimpered when he set me back into my seat and, after adjusting his pants with a grimace, opened the door.

I wanted to crawl into a hole and die right there. Right then. With a ragged sigh, I got out and gently closed my door, watching as the fog on the windows began to dissipate. I was _not_ going to look at my father after almost having an orgasm in my car, in the school parking lot, with my fiancé. Nope. Not going to happen.

Okay, so maybe I was going to look. I cringed back against the side of that car at the expression on my father's face, but all he said was, "You're both going to be late for class, get going now," in a voice that suggested he would much rather berate both his daughter and asshole of a fiancé. He stomped off, his anger palpable even without my gift.

Wyatt came to my side restlessly. "Do you think I should put a cup on?" he asked, his hand finding mine as he kissed my forehead.

I could've laughed at the absurdity of such a statement, but I was seriously considering it. "Couldn't hurt," I responded, swinging our arms between us gently as we made our way to the school reluctantly.

"Mac?"

I glanced at him. "Yeah?"

He smiled slowly, pulling us to a stop at the steps just before we entered the building. "I love you."

I smiled back, kissing him. "I love you, too."

He leaned down so that his lips were at my ear, his warm, moist breath making me shiver. "And I plan on continuing this later. I promise."

He pulled back and led me into the building. I found that I was greatly embarrassed that heat had snuck into my cheeks and the ache between my legs had returned full force from just his words. I glanced around the full hallways praying to whatever God existed that nobody could tell.

_~Wyatt's POV~_

Was it wrong to make out with your girlfriend – fiancée - in her car? Not necessarily. Almost getting each other off in said car? Yeah, sort of, it was not really one of my most finer, gentlemanly moments. Getting caught half orgasm by her dad? _Yes._ I was now _not_ excited to go to lunch and sit with her father's glare, or Edwards knowing and disgusted look, Emmett's "Atta boy!" or her mother's slightly unhappy expression. But hey, you do crazy things when you're in love, right?

I made sure I sat down at the very far end of the table, as far away from her family and placed her between us. They wouldn't really hurt her, but I was dispensable to them, her on the other hand, not so much.

However, Mac looked just about as embarrassed to be caught as I was and I had a feeling she was not happy to be the one closer to her family. I could live with her glaring at me, because I knew what I could do later to get on her good graces, yet her dad wanting to rip my balls off and hand feed them to me was not an endeavor I wanted to achieve.

"Wyatt! Have a good time this morning?" Emmett asked as he sat down in front of us.

I glowered at him, imagining the floor beneath him opening and sucking him down while Mac threw a roll at his head. "Do you mind?" she hissed at him.

He laughed a little. "MacKayla, Jake will totally get over it. He's just upset all his kids are growing up on him. Honestly, he's worse then Edward ever was."

She rolled her eyes. "I find that hard to believe," she muttered sarcastically. "I doubt any father is more _over_protective then mine."

I kissed her temple. "He'll get over it, Two Socks. You are eighteen. Your kinda, sorta, maybe an adult."

She smiled and I found myself kissing the tip of her nose, astounded by her beauty and playfulness. She was perfect in every way and to be able to be with, kiss her whenever I wanted, however I wanted, was something I enjoyed. Revered even.

Mac was my everything. In a matter of a few months, I had fallen for her so hard, so deeply, I still had the imprint of cement on my right cheek. I was pissed that she couldn't wear the engagement ring to school for all the guys to see that she was almost permanently mine since she was only "fifteen". Leah had given her a silver chain though so that she could hang the ring around her neck without anyone being the wiser. That more or less made me feel better, so I was grateful.

Mac nuzzled into my neck with a small sigh, rubbing her nose along the apex of my shoulder and neck. My arm wound itself around her, pulling into my side. Her arm reached across my waist to take my hand and I squeezed hers, our fingers intertwining.

Someone cleared their throat and I glanced up at Emmett who looked a little confused. He was staring at Mac, who was slightly shaking her head at him.

"What?" I asked, looking back between the two of them.

Emmett shrugged. "Not up to me," was all he said before turning his attention to Rosalie who was beside him, murmuring something in her ear too quiet for me to hear. She glanced sharply at Mac with a befuddled expression before shrugging and resumed her conversation with Alice about some designer dresses she had found on the internet this morning.

"Well," I muttered lightly, "that was interesting."

She didn't say anything, but I felt her nod, her face hot against my skin. I pulled her tighter to me with a sigh and tried to eat with my left hand. The school had served spaghetti, and I was having a hard time getting the noodles onto the damn spork. It took a little while but I had finally managed to get more than one strand wound on the plastic utensil. I slowly brought it towards my mouth and just as I opened my mouth, it fell to the Styrofoam plate with a splat.

Mac giggled nearly uncontrollably and she pulled away from me. "I'll let you eat," she murmured.

"Mmm," was all I managed. I leaned down and chastely kissed her. "I don't mind holding you, MacKayla."

She blushed beautifully, glancing around the table to see everyone taking adamantly with one another. _Probably trying to ignore us_, I thought. "I don't mind either," she whispered, placing a gently kiss on the underside of my jaw.

We ate in silence, our shoulders and thighs touching, trying to make for the fact that I wasn't left handed and neither was she. Leah and Aiden made it to the table halfway through lunch, flustered and a little sweaty and I had to chuckle at what they had obviously been doing. They sit down across from us, taking Emmett's and Rose's plates to eat.

"Aiden, you have a little lipstick, right here," I informed him with a smirk, pointy to the left side of my mouth.

He unthinkingly went to wipe it off but scowled, realizing what I was doing. Leah never wore any makeup. "Ha ha." His left arm snaked around her shoulders, squeezing gently.

"So," Leah said, deriving the subject from them, looking at MacKayla with a kind, sisterly smile, "what are the two of you doing for your birthday today?"

Aiden's eyes shot to his mate and he shook his head in a universal sign of "stop talking now". My eyebrows knitted together as I glanced down at Mac, but she wasn't looking at me.

"What? Was it supposed to be a surprise?" Leah asked, confused. She glanced between me and Mac, her lips pursing. "Well, I can see Mac hasn't grown a set yet."

I wasn't really listening to her though. "Mac?"

"Yeah?" She didn't even bother to look at me as she spoke.

"You wanna talk about this?"

Her face scrunched up slightly. "Not really. Maybe later." It was so quiet I could barely here it.

"You weren't really planning on telling me, were you?" I deadpanned.

The entire table had grown quiet, and then restless, trying to ignore us again. After a few heartbeats, she nodded. I pulled away from her, confused at her sudden withdrawal and lack of forthcoming information.

We ate in silence, the table whispering and laughing, attempting to have not witnessed the previous encounter between the two of us. We didn't talk the rest of the day either. I would meet up with her between classes, but we didn't hold hands and not a word was said between us. It felt wrong, the distance we had created. I was so used to the two of us having an easy relationship. But then I felt stupid. Nobody had an easy relationship. It was impossible.

Reasons as to why she had decided against telling me about her birthday invaded my head throughout the day. Maybe she hated birthdays, but if that were the case, she would've told me. There would've been no reason for secrecy or withdrawal. Did something bad happen on her birthday? Does it bring up bad memories? I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at it. Why did my fiancée have to be so tight lipped all the time?

The one thing that bugged me about Mac sometimes was the fact that she hated showing weakness. Even to me, which I thought was absurd. After all we had shared together, she would still hide away inside herself. She didn't like to show emotions or be vulnerable. I could count the number of times she had shown her vulnerability to me on one hand.

I admired the fact that she was strong. I was used to girls who couldn't even garden, afraid they might get dirt under their perfectly manicured nails. I was used to girls who expected the guy to do all the work while they just sat back, looked pretty, and enjoyed the ride. Knowing that Mac could handle anything without a breakdown or letting someone else do it made me smile inside. My girl was amazing.

Yet, when she doesn't want to let her guard down around me, it made me mad at her. I knew she trusted me, so why couldn't she trust me with herself? With her secrets? We had gotten this far, and yet there are still things she wants to ignore, for her own safety.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day, but I remained in the locker room a little longer than necessary. The results of who made the baseball team were being posted today after school and I wanted to look at it before I left.

"Parker, what're you still doing here?"

I glanced up at Coach Clark with a shrug. "I wanted first dibs at the roster."

He smirked. "You made varsity. You always do." He stapled two sheets of paper to the bulletin, one varsity and one JV.

I glanced briefly at the names, knowing that the roster wasn't really the reason I was still in locker room. _Avoidance issues much?_

"Looks like a great team, Coach," I mumbled.

"Yup! Should make it to State again this year," he boomed, clapping me on the back. "Wouldn't be surprised at all."

"Well, I should get going," I said, moving towards the door. "See you at practice tomorrow."

Mac was waiting outside the gym, leaning against the wall, her face devoid of all emotion until she saw me. The minute her eyes touched mine, her face contorted into sadness, her eyes nearly glistening. She looked away and began walking towards the parking lot. I followed behind, trying to decipher her moods.

"What took you so long?" she asked quietly as we got into the car.

"Coach posted the roster today. Made varsity."

"That's great," she congratulated me, her voice sincere.

"Mac, do you want to talk yet?" I asked, staring at her, gauging her reaction.

She frowned, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel. "When we get there," was all she said.

My brows lifted. "And where is there, exactly?"

"You'll see."

We drove down the one-oh-one for about forty minutes until she pulled off and onto a secluded road. The Mustang purred as she downshifting, allowing the car to go up the hill better. The paved road turned into a dirt road, which then turned into a dead-end. She parked the car, and got out, staring at the large Redwoods that surrounded us.

"Wow," I remarked, closing the door behind me.

"Come on," she whispered, tugging at my hand. I squeezed, wanting her to know that whatever is plaguing her, I will always be there for her.

"Where are we going? What if we get lost?" I asked. There were no paths to follow, and though I had always enjoyed nature, I was not familiar with the area.

"Oh please, Wyatt, do not tell me you're afraid of the big bad forest!" She smiled for the first time in hours and I found myself reciprocating.

"Nope, lead on Two Socks, just don't let anything eat me and we'll be fine," I denied.

Her eyes flashed and she tried to pull her hand out of mine but I held on tighter. She shrugged a little, and then stepped over a huge fern, pulling me along with her. Though there was definitely no trail, there was a _path_ in a way, that had been tread upon quite a bit, because the plants were squished down to the forest floor.

I breathed in the natural scent, enjoying the noises from the birds. There was stillness in the forest as we walked. I knew we were here for privacy and I knew that she must have been here a lot. We walked for about twenty minutes in silence, the sounds of animals calming us, the silence not awkward but comfortable, like it usually was when we were together.

After about twenty-five minutes, I began to hear running water and I glanced at her. She smiled back fondly, starting to jog, yanking me along wither. We got to an opening, where the little faux path with the crushed plants ended, and I gasped slightly. Water fell from a cliff about thirty feet high to a pool at the bottom. Flowers lined the ground, birds flocking in the trees, chirping happily, ignorant to our presence.

"This is so beautiful," I whispered, glancing around at our new environment.

"Yeah," she responded quietly. "I come here whenever I feel the need to unwind, to relax. Nature has always calmed me. I think it's because I'm a Native American. We have always been close with nature."

"How did you find this place?" I wondered, tugging at her hand to sit with me at the end of the pool, where it was quieter. She complied, sitting across from me, her legs crossed.

She let go of my hand and lay back against the soft grass, staring at the sky. "I went on a run one night and stumbled upon it."

I choked. "You ran forty miles!"

She gave me a droll look. "I was a wolf at the time."

"Oh." Yeah, 'cause that made much more sense. "So, you nineteen," I said after a few minutes of peace.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in agitation. "Why can't you talk to me? Why do you have such a hard time with opening up to me?"

She sat up. "I open up to all the time, Wyatt. It's not like we don't ever talk," she retorted, her eyes angry.

"Not about this," I disagreed. "You weren't even going to tell me today was your birthday. You were going to leave me in the dark. You could've told me it was your birthday and then ask me not to get you anything or wish you anything, but you just ignored the matter altogether. Sometimes I don't get you at all."

Her face scrunched up. "Don't try to make me out as the bad guy in this. You're the one who attacked me this morning!" she yelled.

"You didn't exactly tell me to stop, did you? I was just planning to kiss you; you helped it escalate from there. And what the hell does that have to with this? You had already decided on not telling me anything."

"You embarrassed me in front of my father!" she screamed.

"You were fine with it earlier! What the hell has gotten into you, MacKayla? Why are you picking a fight with me?" I could feel my anger drain as the saddened look from earlier, when I had exited the gym, overtook her eyes.

She was silent, staring at me with pleading eyes, and I knew she wanted me to drop the subject but there was no way I was going to do that. She needed to learn that no matter what, I'm gonna be there. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm gonna be there, holding her hand, kissing her boo-boos. Whatever she needed, I would be it for her.

"MacKayla?" I whispered, leaning forward to cup her cheek in my hand. She had begun shaking. "Mac?" I tried again, waiting for a response. Anything.

"Because everyday you get older!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She pushed me away from her, standing up, quivering violently. "Everyday that you get older, you get closer to dying! Everyday I get older is a reminder of how short your life span is! You think this is easy for me, watching you age, knowing that there's going to be a time when you won't need me, or when I need you and you're gone? Six feet under." Her voice cracked on the last word and I stood up, pushing the bewilderment out of my mind. I walked towards her but she wasn't paying any attention.

"You'll be cold and unmoving while I mourn you knowing there wasn't anything I could do, or anything I could say to fix it. You would lie under the earth with only my memories to sustain you, and I know it isn't enough. There is no way that seventy years is enough," she ranted, her angry breath growing harsh.

I pulled her into my arms and she tried to resist but I held firm. "You can't die on me, Wyatt," she whispered, finally relaxing, tears spilling forth, dampening my fleece but I could care less. My heart was breaking in two at her words, her images. Her tears.

"Baby, there is no way I could ever leave you," I whispered into her hair. "No way would I ever want to be away from you."

"How?" she croaked. "This isn't something you can say to me. You're human."

I stilled my breath, knowing this was going to hurt me. "I promise you, baby, I won't ever leave you, not willingly." I stroked her hair, holding her as tightly to me as possible, trying in vain to ignore that pain lacerating my chest. "I love you so much, MacKayla. Don't you _ever_ forget that, you understand me? Don't you dare fucking forget that."

She choked back a sob, burrowing her head into the crook of my neck. Her knees buckled and I caught her against me, holding her shivering form to me tightly as I managed to sit down, pulling her into my lap where she would be more comfortable. Her arms wound around me, her fingers biting into my skin but I didn't feel the pain.

"Mac, you don't always have to be strong for me," I told her, rocking back and forth. "I'm gonna be here no matter what. When you're not strong enough, that's when I come in. You can lean on me whenever you need to, alright? No more secrets, no more bullshit. I don't back down. Ever. Don't put up a front with me. I doubt anything you could tell me would make me run away from you. I love you too much to do that."

"I love you so much. It hurts s-so much right now," she hiccupped. "The thought of you…"

I placed a finger to her lips. "Shhh, we aren't gonna think about that. And there is one way we could fix it," I suggested, treading rough waters. We had never discussed my becoming a vampire because I had an inkling that she would shoot it down.

"Wyatt… you don't know what it's like. You wouldn't want that life if you knew about it," she whispered, her tears slowing, drying.

I pulled back and wiped my fingers over her wet cheeks. "If it meant spending considerably more time with you, I wouldn't care about the ramifications," I assured her.

She shook her head. "We aren't gonna talk about this anymore," she muttered.

"Didn't I just say no more fronting? Talk to me," I urged, kissing her forehead, her eyes lids, her salty cheekbones.

She sighed, her fingers weaving through my thick hair. "I don't want that life for you. Humans are so much more… they have… they have more life, more abilities. They can have children, and stand in the sun in a crowd of people."

"I thought the men could have children," I interrupted, staring into her eyes, trying not to imagine her swollen with my child. It was something I yearned for deeply.

She nodded. "They can. That's how my mother came about. But who would know how my pregnancy would turn out?"

I pulled her in against me, placing her head on my shoulder. "I'm going to love you no matter what," I told her, peppering kisses along the side of her neck. "And I'm going to stand beside you no matter what," I continued between butterfly kisses, feeling her pulse escalate beneath my lips and tongue.

"Wyatt," she moaned, her head falling to the side, giving me better access. She spilt her legs, straddling me for the second time that day. She lifted her head; her lips meeting mine, wanting to dominate me. I let her control the kiss, trying desperately to not let this become more then just kissing. She was still hurting, I could tell, and sex wasn't the answer to all of our problems.

"Mac, wait, slow down," I said, pulling away. Her lips slid down my jaw where she began nibbling on my neck.

"I don't want to slow down," she groaned, grinding herself against me and I bit my lip to keep quiet and try not to pay attention to the sudden and painful ache in my groin. "I need you, Wyatt. You promised me you would make up this morning's interruptions."

"Mac," I gasped, my lips attacking hers. My qualms died on the stop.

Her fingers fell to the hem of my shirt and pulled it upward. Our mouths separated so I could take the shirt off. While I was doing that, she had taken off hers and unhooked her bra in record speed. My mouth watered at the sight of her breasts lifting with every breath and I leaned down, my lips sliding over her taut bud, suckling strongly.

MacKayla's fingers fell into my hair, her palms cradling my head to her while she moaned, arching into my mouth. I slid my palms over her stomach to the waistband of her jeans. Her breath hitched as I unzipped them, pulling them down her smooth, silky legs.

"Wyatt," she whimpered, her hands pulling my head up to hers, her lips meeting mine fiercely. Her palms slid over my chest in warm caresses, bringing goose bumps to the surface and causing me to shiver as she slid them down to my jeans, undoing them so quickly that I had even noticed she was pushing them down until I was sitting there in my boxers.

I gently pushed her back against the soft grass, laying my shirt beneath her lower back and hips before I covered her body with mine, my lips falling to one of her nipples, one hand rolling the nipple that seemed awfully lonely, my other hand dipping to her hot, wet folds.

"Oh, Wyatt," she purred as I slipped a finger inside, and then another. "Oh, yes." She lifted her hips up to meet my hand, riding my finger.

My hand and mouth switched breasts as her breath began to quicken. I knew she was close so I flicked my thumb over her bud and she screamed, her walls clamping down tight on my fingers, shivering and quivering as her release rolled through her.

I sat up and took off her black underwear and then divesting myself of my boxers. I laid over her again, positioning myself at her entrance, rubbing my length against her, teasing her.

"Wyatt, please!" she begged, lifting her hips up, trying to push me in.

I smirked and silenced her moan with my mouth as I thrust in. Her legs lifted, wrapping around my waist as she met me stroke for stroke. Her hot walls caressed me and I found myself getting lost in her softness.

"Oh God, you feel so good," I groaned into her collarbone.

"I know," she choked. "I'm so close."

I reached down between us, knowing I wasn't going to last much longer either and found the bud f her pleasure. With a few sure flicks of my fingers, she came shuddering hard in my arms, her core milking me into an orgasm along with her, shouting her name and a stream of "I love yous" before collapsing.

Something cold smashed into my head painfully. I lifted my head weakly to see the engagement ring that I hadn't noticed before, resting at the top of her breasts. I kissed it before laying my head on the swell of her right breast.

Her fingers stroked my hair, playing lightly. "I love you so much, Wyatt," she sighed. "I didn't mean to be so independent earlier."

My hand splayed on her hip, rubbing softly, enjoying the feel of her smooth, sweaty skin against my palm. "I understand that you don't like showing weakness, but you need to know I would never judge you for it."

"I know that, I just don't always know how to lean on others. I've never really had to before."

I rested my forearms on either side of her so that we were eye level. "Well now you have me. You've had me for a while. And I don't plan on going anywhere."

She smiled gently before placing her palms on my still sweaty cheeks and kissing me soundly on the lips. "Good, 'cause I don't really plan on letting go of you any time soon."

***

The drive back was comfortable. I drove, my hand intertwined with hers on the gearshift. After we had regained enough strength to get up, we had swum in the water. At first I was not excited. It was March and I knew the water was probably freezing, but she had thrown me in anyway, laughing all the while. The pool of water turned out to be a hot spring.

I smiled at the memory, watching as the sun slid down over the horizon. I tightened my hold on her as I downshifted, pulling down her driveway. I tried to get out first, hoping she would let me open the door for here, but knew it was a lost cause. She was out before I had opened the door.

She walked over to me and leaned me against the car, her hands on either side of me. I loved how tall she was. It was a huge turn on to not have to bend down until my back spasmed. She was the perfect height to take control whenever she wanted. Like now. Her lips descended on mine, her fingers playing in my hair. It was funny how she loved my hair as much as I loved hers.

My hands fell to her lower back, pulling her against me, my tongue sweeping in, tasting her mouth. She always tasted like watermelon. She chewed gum a lot, saying that it made her mouth taste better. It sure as hell did.

She pulled away with a soft sigh. "I love you," she murmured against my mouth.

"Mmm, I love you too, Two Socks."

She grinned and kissed me again quickly before saying good night and bounding up the porch, happiness back in her step. I was glad I had rid her of the insecurities, but I didn't know how long it would last.

A figure stepped out from the shadows of the garage. I swallowed hard.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me?"

I nodded, glancing back at the house, before following her into the garage, the door closing behind us.

_I really hope this won't piss Mac off._

**dun dun DUN! Sorry for the cliffie.**

**I cannot even begin to express how sorry I am at the length of time it took for me to get this out. Really. I seem to get writer's block so easily, I swear. I won't make any excusses, their useless so I just hope that you can forgive me.**

**Please review!**


	18. Dangers

Chapter 18- Dangerous

_Wyatt_

The air in the garage was cold and smelled familiar, gasoline and oil a strong, comforting odor. The garage had always been my home away from home, and although this had cars I could only dream of working on, reminded me of when I worked at the shop in town, before I was let go. I found myself staring at the shinny cars and the two motorcycles off to the side. There was a red Ferrari that hadn't been there when Mac had told me her big secret. It was an older model, my guess would be a 2009, but I wasn't sure. How clean it was and the low mileage as I peered down at the dash told me it wasn't driven very often.

A sigh echoed in the garage, the sound ricocheting off the cement walls, quiet and yet loud like the wind. I turned around, glancing at Bella Cullen, who was leaning against a work table with tools littered around it. "It was a gift from Edward, but honestly, I hated it. Ostentatious and all that. My car had been a truck and when it broke down, he bought me a Mercedes. Then when I was turned, he bought me that thing. I'm a simple girl, I would still take my truck over that, even after all these years."

Her voice was like bells, and I tried to imagine what she looked like as a human. Mac told me once that her eyes used to be brown, the exact replica of Renesmee's. I found myself staring at her. There were pictures on the wall that I'd seen of her. She was human in them. I could see the resemblance, but at the same time, I couldn't. She wasn't what you would call average anymore. When looking at her human pictures, I would have called her ordinary. It made me wonder how I would turn out.

She rubbed the back of her neck in a completely human way, explaining the fact that she was nervous, even as a vampire. "Uh, Edward said you wanted to talk," she said, her voice calm even though her demeanor was anything but.

I nodded, pushing myself away from the shinny red sports car and toward her. I stared at her now golden eyes, trying to picture them on my face. Trying to picture myself with a bell like voice, but knowing how low Emmett's voice, I doubted I would sound like angels singing. "I wanted to know…" I trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. It's not like I knew the protocol of this kind of thing.

She didn't even blink. Which made me wonder if she got more confident when she became a vampire. From all the stories I had heard over the past months, Bella used to be shy and quick to blush. She wasn't like that now. "You mean you want to know why I became a vampire?" she asked, staring directly into my eyes.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Yeah, I guess so."

She smiled, her eyes looking lost in thought. "You love MacKayla." She said it like a statement rather than a question.

I felt a small grin tug the corners of my lips up at her comment, an image of Mac stealing over my brain. "Yeah, I do."

"And you're thinking of becoming a vampire for her." Her eyes were all knowing, staring at me as if she could see into my very soul.

"I would do anything to live for her, with her," I answered, my voice not even wavering.

"And that's why I did it. But you'll find the Mac inherited Edward's morals. Which would mean that she it against your plan for a happily-ever-after."

I sighed. "I mentioned it to her today and she wouldn't hear it at all. Shot me down and said we just weren't going to talk about it."

"I can relate. But do you really want to become a vampire?" she asked, her eyes kind and understanding.

"I would become anything for her," I repeated. I looked over at her. "Do you regret it?"

She startled me by saying, "Sometimes."

I stared at her in shock, not expecting her to say something like that.

She laughed at my expression, the sound like a thousand bells ringing in a church bell tower. "Wanted me to tell you the world is full of roses? Of course there are times where it crosses my mind, that there are a few things I could do if I were still human, like have a child. However, I take a step back and look at all I've gained. And it reminds me of all the reasons I did this for. All the people I did this for. I have a daughter, three beautiful grandchildren, and an adoring, prefect husband. In all honesty, I believe that what I did was for the best and that I wouldn't change my decisions for the world. I love all that I have."

I jumped up onto the table, ignoring the fact that I was probably gonna get stains on my pants. I turned over her words in my head, imagining myself as a vampire, spending eternity with Mac. Myself with golden eyes myself with pale, hard skin. Would Mac still love me if I were a vampire, if I were like the rest of her family? I touched my cheek, my fingers falling on the grain of stubble poking through the skin. It was still soft, my skin. I couldn't wrap my head around the possibility of it not being like this ever again.

I reached forward unthinkingly towards her and she flinched backward. "Sorry," I muttered sheepishly.

"No," she said, "just warn me next time. Your pretty quick for a human."

I flashed a dimpled grin in her direction. "Sports," was all I said as I reached forward again, this time considerably slower, letter her gauge my movements. Her skin was cold and hard, a little bit like a stone that had been sanded down to a flat, smooth expanse of granite. My fingers traced her cheek while my opposite hand slid across my own. "It's hard for me to imagine my cheek feeling like yours."

She shrugged. "You get used to it. I never questioned this life though, when I was human. I had plenty of time to think about it, to wonder if what I had in mind was the right thing to do. Edward, though, meant everything to me and I found that I wanted to be a vampire with him more than I wanted anything else. I had never wanted kids or to get married, but with him, all bets were off. When I discovered myself to be pregnant, I suddenly knew I wanted this, a part of him and a part of me, the best parts of us, coming together and creating life."

Her eyes had a wistful, far away look in them as she stared at the shiny, European car. "Do I regret my choices? No, I wouldn't trade anything I have for what I once did. Sometimes life hands you cards you only get dealt once in a lifetime and you only have a little bit of time to either accept it or decline, but you have to know that it won't come up again. The offer only lasts for a short period of time before it goes away and you're left wondering about the 'what ifs.' "

I stared at her in shock again. Because she was so right. The only way I could ever spend eternity with MacKayla was to become a vampire. That was the only way. I swallowed thickly, regarding her with, I'm sure, a very nervous expression. "Does it hurt?"

Her expression steeled a little with an understanding undertone. "More than you can possibly comprehend."

I blinked and looked down at my feet. I had already known the answer to that, didn't it? Was that the reason MacKayla had shut down all possibilities of the idea? I was used to pain, albeit maybe not even close to the level Bella had hinted at, but I knew I would handle it, for Mac. I knew that I could. "Thanks, for not sugar coating anything," I whispered.

She smiled kindly at me, her golden eyes twinkling with love like I was her son her something. She put a hand on my shoulder. "Wyatt, I know you'll make the right decision in the end. And I know Mac will understand, in due time. I believe things happen for a reason. And our little discussion will help you better understand all of this. In the end though, remember that this isn't Mac's ultimate decision, it is yours."

I nodded to her, running a hand through my hair, pulling at it at the roots. Yeah, this was my decision, but the fact that I knew Mac didn't want this for me, made me get tense about making the wrong choice. Would Mac ever learn to forgive me? Would she be able to love me when I no longer was soft or warm? Would the fact that I was still technically Wyatt Parker be enough for her? My insecurities threw themselves at me, chocking me. I was never truly very good under this kind of pressure. Hand me a basketball with five seconds left and we're losing by two and I'll be able to shoot a three pointer, but this, this went beyond everything I knew about. Beyond my entire self. This was something that involved more than one person.

"Wyatt, are you going to throw up?"

I glanced up at her sharply, not remembering that she as still there. "No. Sorry. Forgot that I was transparent."

She laughed a little at that. "Don't get so worked up about it. Talk it over with Mac, let her understand where you're coming from and see if you can get her to come over to the darkside, and if not, know that I'm on your side, even though I prefer to be on my own side."

I swallowed thickly. "Yeah, 'course."

She smiled and shocked me by pulling me into a hug, albeit an awkward one, but I hugged her back nonetheless. She ruffled my hair as she pulled away, a very maternal look of satisfaction on her face. "You can talk to me anytime you need to, about vampires of something else," she said. "You should probably get home now, it's almost time for dinner I'm sure."

_If only she knew_, I thought but smiled widely at her when she waved goodbye. The door shut, and I took a deep breath of the gas and oil. I pulled out my cell phone and texted Mac.

_I love you, MacKayla._

I slumped down, staring at my phone, waiting for a reply from her. A few seconds later, my phone vibrated in my hand and the screen lit up, announcing a text from Mac.

_Silly human, I love you, too. _

I quickly replied.

_I miss you, Two Socks._

Again, she replied almost immediately.

_Wyatt, are you okay? You left like, twenty minutes ago. _

I went to reply, but she called me. "Hello?"

"Wyatt? What's wrong?" her voice was rushed, hurried. "Do you need me to come over and beat the crap out of your vile mother?"

I cracked a smile. "Baby, you don't need to come over. I just wanted to tell you that I loved you again. And I do miss you. The minute you got out of the car I missed you."

It was silent for a few heartbeats while I waited for her to say something. "I did, too," she whispered. "Missed you, I mean. I always do."

"Oh Mac," I sighed, jumping down from the work table and meandering towards the door.

"Wyatt, do you really think that the way you feel is only one-sided? 'Cause it's not."

I chuckled lightly, getting into my truck and shutting the door. I sat there, staring out of the windshield. "I didn't, but thank you for letting me know," I said lightly.

"Anytime, Ducky. Anytime you need to be reminded, I will gladly fill you in," she said suggestively.

"Hmm, now your getting me all hot and bothered, Mackie." I turned my truck on and began driving down her long driveway.

"Wyatt, are you just now leaving?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," I said, wondering if I should tell her. Okay, I knew I _should_, the true question was did I want to. I was a horrid liar, and I knew she would see right through me, yet I knew she would be pissed at me when I told her. Was it worth it? There would be no secrets, but would I be able to talk to her again tonight without her hanging up on me?

"Wyatt? Why the hell are you just now leaving? What were you doing for twenty minutes?"

"I was talking to Bella," I whispered.

The silence was nearly deafening. I could hear her harsh breathing on the other end of the line and I wondered why I didn't at least attempt to lie about it. But then I remembered that I loved this woman.

"Wyatt… I thought we had talked about this." Her tone was flat, but I heard the underlying emotion that she hadn't been able to hide. She was upset, and not the angry, pissed off kind.

"No, we didn't talk about it. I tried to talk to you about it and you shut down. I want us to think about this. I want you to know that I would do anything for you, and if it meant becoming a vampire for you, I sure as hell would. Right away. If I knew you wouldn't kill me for it."

If you could hear a smile, she would've made a noise on the other end. But I knew she was smiling, even if it was just a little bit and there was no noise to indicate it. "Wyatt… I'm not making any promises," she said.

"That's all I'm asking for. Just to talk about it. Think about. We don't need to make any decisions right away. Just know that I threw it out there, okay? It's on the table. Sit on it for a little while for me, will ya?" I turned down onto the highway, getting close to my street.

"Wyatt." I most definitely heard a smile that time.

"I love you, Mac. Try not to forget that little tidbit."

Her tinkling laugh echoed throughout my cab. "I love you back, Ducky."

_MacKayla_

I could still feel his fingers, his lips on my skin. I still tingled and I was sore in places I didn't know existed, but it was well worth it. I couldn't stop thinking about it, feeling it. After we had our little escapade on his shirt by the waterfall, we switched to the hot spring. And it got _really_ hot. It made me tingle even more just thinking about it.

"Mac," he had whispered, his lips sliding along my collarbone. His five o'clock shadow was going to leave marks and the thought really got me going, my legs rubbing together, trying to get friction going in the place that pulsated for him the most.

His hand cupped my breast, his thumb sliding easily along my taut nipple, water dripping between our bodies. He kneaded my flesh, his thigh splitting mine apart. I could feel him, hard and hot against my lower belly and I moaned, throwing my head back, imagining him inside me. He took advantage of the expanse of skin now easily accessible, his soft lips attacking my throat, his tongue finding my pulse and licking up it to my chin.

His lips once again molded to mine as I let him settle between my thighs, lining up in the spot where I needed him. I lifted my legs around his waist and turned him around, digging my knees into the wet mud, cornering him. He groaned my name.

"I want to try something," I whispered, lowering myself onto him with a moan. "I wanna let go, feel your emotions along side mine."

"Isn't that dangerous?" he asked in a breathy, husky tone, his hands holding my ass to him as I began to move, enjoying the feel of him inside me greatly.

"It could be. I've never tried this before. It is possible I could blackout." I moved my hips slowly, wanting this to last a life time.

"Mac…"

"Please."

His intense cobalt blue eyes locked with mine and he sighed, leaning forward to kiss me, our tongues doing an arousing tango. Our eyes stayed open the entire time. "Okay," he said against my lips.

And so I let go. Slowly at first, gauging how this was going to end. And then I felt him. I could feel the love for me pouring out of him, his need for me. Then I could feel his pleasure of me so tightly wrapped around him. I moved my hips faster, feeling my pleasure build in raptures, his own helping me along, the sound of water splashing nearly deafening.

My head fell back with a scream as I climaxed violently, shaking in his arms. My legs quivered around his hips and he moaned loudly, using my hips in his hands as leverage to pump himself inside me as I squeezed him and the pleasure he felt coursed through me, sending me into another orgasm. I felt him twitch right before he came, my name piercing on his lips.

I fell against him, our harsh breathing and the water on our bodies mingling. He waited until both our heartbeats slowed down to a normal rhythm before speaking. "Holy fucking hell, MacKayla," he breathed. "I am not going to lie, that was the hottest fucking thing I have ever fucking seen."

I smiled and kissed his neck. "I'll say. We should do that more often."

"Fuck yes, baby."

I smiled at the memory, listening to the birds sing outside while I had leftovers from the previous night. Wyatt was everything I could ever hope for, but I wondered if our way of life would be able to sustain him. He said I would be enough for him, but he can't possibly know the ramifications of his choice were he to really choose to become a vampire. He thinks he knows but he can't. He can't possibly understand.

"What's with the smile?" Aiden asked, sliding onto a bar stool beside me, Leah doing the same on my other side.

"Mac, are you glowing?" Leah smirked, bumping me with her shoulder.

"Maybe," I said coyly.

"Ew, can we _not_ talk about the fact that my baby sister got laid? Please?" Aiden pleaded, taking a fry off my plate.

"Hey!" I said, slapping at his hand. "It's not like we don't talk about your sex life. I hear it every damn night." I took the fry from his hand just as it reached his mouth and popped it into my mouth, satisfied with the look of surprise on his face.

"You do not," he stated, although I had a feeling he was worried that I might.

"No I don't, but it got you thinking, didn't it?" I said, a crooked grin plastered on my face.

"God, you suck," he muttered, taking an apple from a bowl on the counter and chomping into it.

"Yes, yes I do." Just to screw with him.

He gagged, awarding me with a laugh from Leah. "I taught you so well, Mac. So well," she said with a warm smile, clapping me on the back. We were sisters after all, even after her hurtful comment at lunch earlier in the day. She was abrasive and almost never thought before she spoke. We all knew that and I always forgave her when her mouth ran away from her.

I finished my burger quietly while Leah and Aiden talked adamantly about their wedding in June. I hadn't even remembered that it was so soon and it made me feel like a bad sister, forgetting my own brother's wedding. My fingers found the ring strung around my neck and I rubbed the diamond with my thumb and index finger in thought. _When were Wyatt and I gonna get married? _We hadn't even really thought about it. Funny how he wanted to become a vampire without even being married to me. Did he want that more? Would he rather be a vampire than marry me? My stomach dropped at the thought.

I reached behind my neck and unhooked the clasp. The ring fell into my palm and I slipped it onto my left ring finger, admiring its beauty and the light reflecting off of it. I was doubting Wyatt and our relationship again, wasn't I. I did that a lot. It bothered me that I did that, but I didn't know how to not do it. For someone who felt right in their own skin, I sure as hell was insecure about a lot of things. And after the day I had, I shouldn't be questioning the way Wyatt felt for me. It was pretty damn obvious he loved me.

Right?

A feeling of dread entered my stomach, making it lurch unsteadily. Something was wrong. Something was happening.

"Hey," Aiden said, rubbing my back. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling."

"I know," he startled me by saying. "I feel it, too."

I glanced over at Leah and she was nodding in agreement. "I feel it," she whispered.

I thought I was going to throw up. I picked up my phone and dialed Wyatt's number, needing to feel reassured.

"Mac, are you alright, it's late." His voice calmed me, but it felt like déjà vu, our conversation almost mirroring our earlier one, only backwards.

"Wyatt, can I come get you?" I asked, rubbing the band part of my ring with my thumb.

"Yeah, sure. Hailey is at a friend's house."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

It didn't take me long to drive to Wyatt's house, my adrenaline pumping through my veins. Wyatt was waiting for me on the sidewalk. I parked the car and flew out, pulling him into my arms, kissing the living day lights out of him. I was so relieved to know he was okay, but the fear, the dread, gnawed at my stomach still.

"Mac, talk to me. Don't leave me in the dark. Please."

"Something bad is going to happen, I can feel it. Everyone can feel it. I need to know your safe, come with me, please," I said into his shirt, surprised to feel tears falling slightly.

"Okay," he whispered. "Okay. Let's go."

We drove back in silence, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. I pulled into the drive, parking my car in the garage. He got out and took my hand in his, his lips lingering on my white knuckles.

"Everything is going to be fine, MacKayla," he said, trying to comfort me.

"You don't know that, Wyatt. You can't know that."

"And what if I do?"

"You don't."

The house was quiet, too quiet. I felt like I was in some really bad horror film, but I could hear the breathing and low talking of my family. It helped me feel safer, knowing that nothing occurred while I was gone. I pulled Wyatt into the house. Everyone was congregated around Alice in the living room, but nothing was happening.

"I can't see anything!" she screeched. "I can't!

"Ally, it's okay. We understand," Emmett murmured.

"You don't! You don't understand," she yelled, her hands balling into fists. "Something is going on, and I don't know what it is. Something big. Something bad." Her eyes fell to me and Wyatt standing awkwardly in the hallway. "But I don't know the when or the why. I don't know. I don't know anything."

She began trembling and I got worried. I squeezed Wyatt's hand in mine, which he immediately reciprocated. My mom got up from the couch. "Why don't you two go on up to bed. I trust you won't do anything I wouldn't," she suggested.

I nodded mechanically and tugged Wyatt up the stairs with me. I stole one of Aiden's shirts before we made it to my room. I shut the door behind us and handed him the Mariner's t-shirt. He wordlessly shrugged into it and stripped off his pants, standing in my bedroom in his boxers and my brother's shirt. He was still sexy. He climbed beneath the covers and watched me with half-lidded eyes while I changed into a tank top and shorts.

I got in beside him, his arms reaching out and pulling me against him.

"God, you are so warm. And you smell good," he muttered, his face buried in my hair.

I felt myself smile against my better judgment. "I took a shower after we got home."

I snuggled against him with a soft sigh. I felt so safe and secure in his arms that I wondered why I was freaking out about him wanting to become a vampire over wanting to marry me. "I love you," I murmured, aware that I had only said it a bazillion times that day.

However, he seemed to understand for he pulled me tighter to him, holding me like I was a lifeline. "I love you, too, baby."

***

The morning woke me bright and early. I was glad that it was a Saturday and that I didn't have to get up early for school. I sighed, deep and heavy, snuggling even more into the warm, breathing body beside me.

Wyatt's front was up against my back, his arm slung beneath my breasts. I smiled and lowered my hand over his, holding it to my skin. I could feel his breath on my neck and I turned over gently, not wanting to wake him yet. I stared at him, his face peaceful, his mouth slack ever so slightly. My hand reached up of its own accord and traced the line of his soft, pink lips, feeling his breath fan out over the pads of my fingers. It made me tingly.

I leaned up slowly and placed my lips on his, stealing his breath as he woke up, his beautiful, piercing sapphire eyes fluttering. I pulled back with a grin. "Morning," I chirped.

"Mmm, wake me like that every morning for the rest of my life and I'll die a very happy man," he said, leaning down to really kiss me.

Absurdly, I felt a giggle shimmy its way up my throat. "I'll make sure to file that away, Wyatt."

"Mmm, be sure to," he said against my lips.

However, my good mood began to dissipate as dread sank in. I had forgotten about last night. I shot out of bed and right into the shower, Wyatt groaning from the bed before joining me. We kept to our respective sides of the shower, both of us remembering the day before now.

We got dressed quickly, me in a pair of jeans and a grey sweater, Wyatt in dark jeans and a blue t-shirt that someone had brought in last night while we were sleeping. We walked hand in hand down the stairs, both of us solemn in our disposition. The house was eerily silent, and my stomach dropped and lurched, making me feel nauseous. I blocked out everyone's emotions so I could just feel my own, so I wouldn't have to feel worse than I already did.

My family was seated in the living room again and I wondered if any of them had moved from their spots last night at all. Alice was sitting on the floor, concentration evident on her face. Jasper was seated behind her, his legs on either side of her, his head resting on her shoulder.

Something was up.

"Oh, good, you two are up. There are waffles in he kitchen," Bella said, dragging us into the kitchen against our free will.

"What's going on?" I asked hesitantly as Wyatt and I sat down and began to eat the blueberry waffles drenched in maple syrup.

"Nothing so far," Bella answered. "Alice hasn't seen anything yet. But she said it was just a matter of time now."

Suddenly a gasp was heard and the three of us rushed back to the living room.

Alice was in a state of shock, her body shaking. Her eyes were huge, staring at Edward and then at me and Wyatt. "It's the Volturi. They're coming. Again

* * *

**Uh-oh, another cliffie?**

**I had to stop it there, my muse can only work for so long :) I'm having upload issues so I had to paste this on my last chapter . Annoying. Anyway, review! Hope you liked this chapter, 'cause I sure as hell had fun.**


	19. Finding Solace in Love

Chapter 19-Finding Solace in Love

_~Oksana's POV~_

Pain was everywhere. My body throbbed in ways it had not since I turned. I could only feel the way my body was so badly mangled, arms and legs separated from my body. Fire was burning all around me, my friends and fellow vampires dead, turning to ash in the infernos reflected in my crimson eyes. The stench of burning flesh was filling the air, burning my nasal passages.

"Child, why have you done this."

It was not a question, but a statement made in a voice that elicited anger and dread from deep within me. I did not look up to see him, nor did I say anything to acknowledge him. I could not move.

I lay on the ground, watching as the Volturi guard threw my arms and legs into the blaze. I closed my eyes, screaming in pain as they turned to ash. I had failed. None of this was supposed to happen. Not like this. The Volturi was supposed to die tonight, not us. Under my breath, so quiet that I made almost no sound, I prayed in Russian. Prayers that I had long since thought I had forgotten along with my humanity.

"I do believe I asked you a question, child," Aro repeated, more sternly than he had before, unsaid threats under toning the words. I knew that I was going to die. And I knew that he could learn all with but a simple brush of his skin against mine. I halted my prayer, knowing it was futile. Death was the inevitable result.

Still I remained silent. Until he reached forward to touch me. Then he saw everything.

And he whispered, "Cullen," as his beloved guard began to shred me and toss me in with my friends.

I had failed.

_~Wyatt's POV_

The room was tense, rife with anxiety. I could sense it emanating from everyone as if it were a breeze flowing from an open window in spring. No one could move, as still as stone where they sat. And I knew from previous experience that they were similar to stone. Mac clutched my hand tightly in hers, so tight that the tips of my fingers were going numb.

I was the first to speak, to break the silence. "Who are the Volturi?" I whispered, the room so quiet that my voice rang back to me so loudly I nearly cringed. I was afraid at first that maybe I should have just kept my trap shut.

"They are basically our version of government," Jasper answered, taking his focus away from Alice, whose eyes had gone glassy again. "Only law and what's right means little to them. They are driven by power and the need to conquer. The only reason anyone follows them is because they have been around since the dawn of time and a vampire's power grows every year that passes. Most vampires know that if they were to retaliate, they would no longer exist."

The room grew quiet again and I fidgeted. My free hand found a hole in my jeans and played with the frayed ridges on the outer edges. "So what do we do?" I asked.

All eyes moved to Alice, who answered, "There is nothing we can do except prepare. They are coming and they are angry. The only thing that can happen is war. They are tired of us causing trouble."

"What trouble?" Carlisle wondered. I noticed that he was holding Esme's hands in his, and, as I looked around, realized everyone was holding onto a loved one. Ravyn was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and his face was stoic, purposefully looking away from all of the lover's clasped hands.

When Alice did not respond, he asked, "What exactly did you see, Alice?"

She took a deep breath even though I know she didn't need it. "Oksana organized a group of vampires to fight the Volturi. They lost and were killed, but not before Aro saw all of her memories. Of us, and the real motives of why she attacked them. Aro, Cauis, and Marcus are not happy with us. They are coming here to kill us."

"Does he know about my children?" Renesmee whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alice nodded, despair etched into every single granite stone line and expression on her face.

Renesmee chocked on a breath of air, Jacob pulling her tight into his body, his face falling into her hair. I could hear his voice but not his words.

"Is it bad that these vampires know about them?" I voiced, considerably perturbed by how upset Nessie and Jake were.

"Yes," Mac answered. Looking into her eyes, I was startled to see fear in their iridescent green irises. "They fear anyone who might have more power than them. And to learn what we are, what we can do . . . It's not good. We just solidified their need to vanquish our coven. They were already afraid of us to begin with."

My heart began to pound. "Is this what all of you have been feeling? The sense of something bad?"

Everyone in the room nodded, their voices silent as I'm sure thoughts swirled around.

"Can we run?" I wondered.

"No," Edward responded, his tone grim and lost. "They have guards that can track us. We have nowhere to go."

"So we have to stay and be slaughtered?" I asked, appalled by this outcome.

Silence was my answer. Anger bubbled inside until it manifested as its own entity. Mac and I deserved a life together. A long, happy life. Days filled with laughter and smiles and stolen kisses. We were too young to be shot out of the sky when we had just found our wings. "We can't just sit around and wait for Death to show up at our door. I refuse to lie down and let them take my life. _Our_ lives."

"Wyatt," Mac urged, pulling on my hand.

I turned to her, cupping her smooth, dark cheek in my palm. "No. I cannot lose you. Lose this." I gestured between us. "I'll never get this again, and I'm not waiting until my next life to find you again and start over. I won't die without a fight."

I glanced around the room, my eyes touching every single person. "We can't be the only coven who feels like I do. We deserve life just like everybody else."

Carlisle met my eyes. "Wyatt, maybe it's time for us to start over. Some of us have lived much longer than an average human. This could be our chance to be human again."

I nearly exploded. "You won't be reborn into a body that knows all of what you do now. You want to give up Esme and hope you find her in your next life? Not everyone finds their soul mate, Carlisle. I love Mac, but how do I know that we were together before or that we'll be together in the future? I want forever with her, not a lifetime."

Emmett stood up and paced to the window. "He's right Carlisle. Rosie is all I have that keeps humanity inside. I don't want to give that up yet."

"So we're to fight? Again?" Jasper queried.

Everyone looked at each other as if they were afraid to acquiescence before the other. "Yes," Esme answered.

* * *

I held Mac in my arms under the stars. We lay on a blanket in my truck bed, having driven out to the middle of nowhere to be together alone. Her curly black hair was spread out across my chest as she listened to my heartbeat. I played with a ringlet, wrapping my finger in it over and over again, marveling in its softness. Mac played with the fingers of my free hand, intertwining our fingers on my stomach.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of her lithe and supple body against my hard one. This was what I could not afford to lose. My heart pounded out a rhythm. _Love. Love. Love. Happiness. Happiness. Happiness. _My being was at peace, here, with this girl wrapped up in my arms and holding on tight. She my world, my reason, my rock. She kept me steady when nothing but determination and will ever could. I got up every morning knowing I would see her, knowing that her smile would light my darkness and I would be able to finally see.

Mac was the only person who I could ever truly just be myself with. I was a romantic at heart, dripping sap from my pores. And she just soaked it all up, teasing me here and there, and then dishing it back at me later. She needed to hear those three words just as much as I needed to say them, and vice versa. Her arms could hold me and no matter what, I would be happy and content.

I sure as hell was not ready to lose her yet. Having just found her, I wasn't about to go through it all over again. Life had finally thrown me a play I could take in stride, a play I could enjoy and take pleasure in. And I was going to hit it out of the park.

For most of my life, I grew up not really know love. I didn't have it coming from my parents, and girlfriends were just passing fancies. I came home to fear, and left knowing that eventually I would have to come back to a place that should not have to exist. The epitome of hell on earth. I had to find something that could take the horror of daily life away from me. Sports, school, girlfriends, it all helped drain the black void from my heart until I could smile and laugh and try to ignore the fact I had bruises under my clothes, and every once in awhile, on the inside where my ribs were.

MacKayla not only helped me forget, but she helped me heal. I was burned and hurt from playing with fire too many times, and she comes in and lights up my world. I take pure joy in everything around me, in the stars at night, in the blue or grey sky in the day, in the sound of the wind and the beauty of newly fallen snow. She showed me that I could take happiness from the things surrounding me. I never knew how beautiful nature was until I saw it with her beside me.

She reached up, tracing the line of an eyebrow. I sighed, smelling her unique and utterly "Mac" scent. Her finger moved down the bridge of my nose to play along the outer line of my lips. When it found the seam of my lips, I gently kissed the center.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked, tilting her head so she could see me more clearly.

"You," I whispered. "How much I love you and how much I'm willing to fight to keep you right here with me."

Her eyes grew cloudy. "Wyatt, I don't want you to fight."

I scoffed, slightly pulling away from her. "So I'm supposed to sit back and twiddle my thumbs? Oooo, I could crochet a nice scarf for you, how about that?"

She snarled. "Don't be a dickhead."

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stay safe!"

"I would rather die saving you, then be waiting at home wondering what the hell is happening to you. Do you understand what that would be like?"

She sat up, pushing her hair away from her face. "Do you know what it's like to have to worry about you and fight at the same time? I won't be able to do my job and watch out for you too."

"I can hold my on," I said, aching to have her back in the circle of my arms, yet knowing she was too angry to be touched.

"No, you can't."

I stiffened. "Pardon?"

"You don't get it do you? Vampires, Wyatt. We are going to be fighting _vampires_. You won't stand a chance against them. You are just their meal and plaything. What are you going to be able to do to them? Shoot them?"

"If I have to, yes."

She laughed darkly, looking away. "That wouldn't kill them Wyatt. You have to dismember them and then burn the pieces. And you are too weak to pull them apart. They have ten times the strength you have."

My pride having taken a hit, I lay back, absorbing this. I _was_ too weak. Too human. I had nothing to add to the war, nothing but a weakness. But damn if having her dish it to me didn't hurt like a son of a bitch.

"Then make me a vampire," I said, tugging on the back of her hair so she could turn to look at me.

"No."

"Mac…"

"We don't have enough time to make you into a vampire, Wyatt. It takes a few days, and then a year after that for you to master it. Sometimes it takes much longer than that, depending on the vampire's will and restraint. Newborns are bloodthirsty creatures. It takes them months to years to curb their constant desire for blood, to walk on a sidewalk and not attack anyone who walks too close to them and has blood coursing through their veins.

"You won't have to time to learn anything before they come down on us. If we change you, you die."

"If I remain human, I die."

She didn't say anything, and in the air, I heard a goodbye in the wind rustling the leaves of nearby trees. "MacKayla," I growled.

She didn't look at me. I sat up and she shifted away from me. "MacKayla."

She got up. So did I.

"MacKayla."

She took off running and I chased her, knowing she could outrun me any day. I caught the back of her shirt the minute her legs began to propel her forward, hauling her into my arms. She squirmed, punching her fists into my chest with no force whatsoever.

"Let me go," she whispered.

"No," I snarled, my arms holding her prisoner. I knew she could easily break away, and the fact that she didn't even try told me that she wasn't okay with letting me go either.

"Let me go." I barely even heard it.

"_NO!_" I roared.

"You have to! It's the only way."

"Fuck that!"

"Let. Me. Go."

I didn't answer. Instead, I pulled her lips up to mine and kissed her roughly, pouring all of my emotions against her lips. My hands clutched her cheeks like a life line. My tongue slid right in, licking at hers.

Mac didn't fight me. With a low moan, she pushed herself against my body, filling mine with an intense fire starting in my toes and working its way up until every part of me was tingling. All of the blood in my brain drained to my groin, tightening and hardening my dick. She wrapped her legs around my waist and with my hands on her ass, I walked us back to where my truck was sitting, all alone.

I laid her down on the blanket, not ever bothering to pull my lips away from hers. My hips ground into hers, my breath leaving my body in a whistle as I felt the delicious friction, my dick getting impossibly harder. Her body was right there with me, hot as fire and aroused like hell.

Her hands reached for the hem of my t-shirt and pulled up roughly. "Off," she ordered raggedly. "I need this off."

Quickly, I dispensed of the shirt, immediately covering her body with mine, my lips sucking the skin beneath her ear. Her hands ran up and down my chest, tracing every dip and curve as if she hadn't seen them before. I unbuttoned her plaid blouse, pushing the offending material from her shoulders. Her nipples were taut and I leaned down to suckle them through her black bra.

She groaned, reaching down to my fly, fingers fumbling slightly with buttons and zippers until I felt her hand along with cold air on the skin of my erection. My face fell into her neck as she stroked me, my hips moving forward, thrusting into her hand.

Not wanting to waste another second, I pulled her jeans and panties off, tossing them up by her head. My fingers found her center, warm and wet and inviting and in a half second I was in, thrusting into her with abandon, feeling her walls caress me. I took her loud cry into my mouth as she came instantly.

I pulled back to stare into her face and right away felt the air between us change. My hips slowed down, my forehead leaning into hers. What started as frantic sex had turned into tender lovemaking, and I watched her eyes watch me as I slowly thrust in and out, taking her hand in mine and holding it above our heads. Our fingers intertwined, she curled her legs around mine, her hips meeting mine, moving to the rhythm I set.

This is what it should always be like. This physical profession of love. The tender meeting of skin and soul and heart. Our bodies meeting together and making sweet music in the air like a live orchestra. Mac was the girl who I planned to die with light years away in the future. The girl I would have kids with and love and cherish with every atom of my being until nothing was left but my heart, beating at her feet.

MacKayla's arms stole around my neck, her cheek rubbing mine, her lips sucking on my earlobe as I attacked her neck with love bites and nibbles. I could feel the fire start to reawaken within her and reached down, my fingers finding her tight bundle of nerves, and flicked my thumb repeatedly until we were both moving frenzied against each other again, and love words, sex words, and French profanities were spewing forth as we peaked together in perfect synchrony.

I fell on top of her, my body limp and spent, reveling in the feel of her skin and body beneath me.

"Don't leave me."

I looked up into tearful green eyes and felt my heart have a seizer. I wiped a tear from her cheek, levering myself up onto an elbow. "Two Socks, I wasn't the one trying to leave."

She shook, her body racked with tearless sobs. "I know. I thought I could. I can run faster and knew you would be safe if I just packed my family up and left town. My grandfather did it, why couldn't I."

"Because I'm not weak enough to believe you could ever leave me." I pulled her hand up to my chest, where my heart was thundering, practically yelling its love and adoration for her. "This is for you. Without you, I wouldn't be anything. All it would be able to do is push blood throughout my body. Nothing more. I'm yours, whether it's safe or not. You and I are a team. When one is in trouble, the other has to help. There is no 'I' in team."

She laughed, a watery sound that made me wrap my arms around her and never let go. "Did you get that off a poster in the locker room?" she giggled.

"As a matter of fact, no. It was in the coach's office."

Laughing harder, she swiped her nose with a hand, sniffling slightly.

"I love you, MacKayla," I said, suddenly back to being serious. "No matter what, I'm going to be there when the Volturi threatens to take you from me. Nothing will stop me from saving you, not even my humanity."

Tilting her head back, she looked up at me. "I know. I just wish my soul mate had been much more docile and weak minded."

I laughed in earnest, my hands rubbing up and down her arms. "What you see is what you get, baby," I whispered, breathing into her neck.

"Honestly? I don't think I'd want you any other way," she murmured, tugging my head up to hers.

"You would be bored in a second if I were a mindless robot," I muttered, kissing her forehead, temple, cheeks.

"I don't know. It kind of has its appeal."

I tweaked her nose playfully. "What happened to wanting me no other way?"

"I realized that I can't order you around."

Fingers finding her side, I tickled her until she couldn't breathe and was begging me to stop.

"Alright, truce. I love you, you strong willed, non-docile human."

We kissed leisurely, enjoying the feel of each other and the company we provided. In her arms, I was home.

Finally.

"And I love you, my incredibly beautiful, wonderful future Mrs. Parker."

* * *

**I don't even know what to say other than I am so sorry. This really shouldn't have taken so long, but it's at a part in this story that I have always had difficulty writing.**

**Also, I started Rays of Moonlight. It's scenes from Aiden and Leah's life together. Go over and check it out :)**

**Oh, and please review :)**


	20. Love Tattooed

Chapter 20- Love Tattooed

Mac's POV

"Does it hurt really badly?"

Wyatt glanced over at me. There was no indication of pain on his face. His muscles were relaxed and defined. However, behind his blue irises, I could see it, the pain lacerating his corneas. "No," he lied, his voice just barely strained.

I looked at the needle piercing his skin and cringed, listening to the high-pitched whine of the motor, putting into memory the way the ink stained the perfection of his tanned skin. The taootist looked up from his work to gaze at me.

"He's a strong one," he said. His hair was black, hanging over his forehead and short everywhere else. His skin was forever etched in ink, his earlobes severely gauged with thick, black bands. His entire face was pierced, nose, ears, eyebrows, lips. Though his visage would make you rethink speaking to him, he was nice and unconcerned for the pain he was inflicting on my imprint.

I looked down at the partially completed design on Wyatt's left pectoral, right over his heart. In black and white, a wolf's face was staring at me. We had given the tattooist a picture of my wolf form, just the face, and altered on the computer to be smaller and more what humans were accustomed of. Though I didn't like that it was hurting him, I was excited. The wolf was to have no color except the eyes, which was going to be green. Just like mine.

A few days before, Wyatt and I had been lounging on the couch in my living room, thinking about everything and nothing all at once. Trying to forget and trying to embed every moment between us to memory, knowing what was looming in the near future as my family rushed around us, preparing and getting other vampires and werewolves to come to our aid again.

Wyatt had glanced at me and staring into my eyes, told me that he wanted to get a tattoo of me before he became a vampire and it would be impossible. Of course, I told him _if _he became a vampire, but he persisted. My heart melted into mush when he told me what he wanted. And because I was head over heels for him and could deny him nothing, I conceded.

Wyatt's sapphire eyes locked into mine, concern marring his brow. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

I shook my head, even though it was a lie. I was scared. It was ridiculous, but I couldn't help it. I was always afraid of new things. I hate change. So trying new things wasn't really my thing, yet I wanted to do this for him. For us.

The tattooist, whose name I later learned was Blake, said, "You'll be fine. It tends to hurt the first ten minutes or so but will numb a bit. It'll mostly hurt when it gets to places that are closer to the bone."

I watched mutely as Blake finished Wyatt's tattoo. The wolf was beautiful. Blake was doing a wonderful job of creating my wolf to be life like, her eyes staring at me from Wyatt's skin. When Blake finished, he switched the needles, and dabbed the new one into a bright, vibrant green. His hand was steady as he carefully colored in her eyes, leaving me breathless at the likeness between us.

"Wow," I whispered, looking at how breathtaking the tattoo had come out.

"All right, you're all done," Blake announced, wiping the tattoo with a paper towel. "Let's go check it out."

Walking with the two of them to the six-foot mirror on the wall, I watched Wyatt's face light up as he caught sight of it. His eyes even misted as he met mine. "Blake, it's amazing."

Blake merely smiled and thanked him, pouring medicine onto his hand, and rubbing it onto the tattoo before tapping saran wrap over it. "On to you," he said to me.

I nodded, swallowing thickly. Wyatt grabbed my hand after I had lain supine on the table, taking my arms out of my shirt so Blake could reach my left shoulder blade, the same place Wyatt had gotten his but on the other side. Right over my heart.

I heard the needle start up and my heart thundered in my ears. "Are you ready?" Blake asked.

Wyatt's lips touched the rim of my ear as his hand tightened on mine. "I'm right here, Two Socks."

"Yes, I'm ready," I said, and it wasn't a lie. Feeling Wyatt's hand in mine and the comforting sweeps his thumb was making on the back of my hand made me feel courageous.

The needle pierced my skin and I was surprised at how little it hurt. I had scared myself needlessly. Considering my ridiculously high pain tolerance, there was no reason for me to have been afraid. I would've laughed if I knew it wouldn't ruin the tattoo.

Over the next hour, I lay under the carefully movements of the needle moving on my skin, taking comfort in Wyatt's hand and the fact that I was putting a piece of him on my body to hold eternally. No matter what will happen, I would always carry a piece of him near my heart. The love I had for him emboldened me, filling me with heat and security. This way I would never lose a part of him, even if I were to lose him in body and spirit.

"How are we doing?" Wyatt asked, after Blake and he had finished a conversation about why he had become a tattoo artist.

"Good," I muttered, my stomach screaming at me to feed it. "Just really hungry."

Blake barked out a laugh. "You're the first person to be so nonchalant about the pain and then say that you're hungry."

"That's my girl," Wyatt whispered in my ear. "I told you that it would fine."

A few minutes later, Blake was done, and he walked me over to the mirror. I put my back to it and stared into the handheld mirror he was holding. I put a hand over my agape mouth, staring at the black and white duck footprints. He had made it look like a duck had walked through sand at a beach right on my back, with just the edges of ocean touching a top edge of a footprint.

"Blake, you are my favorite person right now."

He smiled and rubbed the medicine onto it, telling Wyatt and me what we needed to do to take care of our new tats. I smiled, thinking about the fact that we both had his and hers.

Together, Wyatt and I walked out of the tattoo shop hand in hand, smiling privately at what we had just done. The sun was setting over the Olympia horizon. Our hands swung between as we walked down the street, lightly laughing and looking for a restaurant. We settled on The Lucky Dragon just down the street from Cobra, the tattoo/piercing parlor.

The maitre d' led us to a secluded table next to the window, facing the bustling downtown street.

Wyatt sat across from me, smiling.

"What?" I asked, stirring sugar into my tea, extremely ravenous.

"You just look happy."

I glanced up sharply. "I am," I told him. "With you, I'm always happy."

His dimples deepened as his smile grew. "I'm glad. I know that we've been trying to ignore what's going to happen in a month or so."

I didn't respond. Just sat there, stirring my tea much longer than what was necessary. I refused to think of it. My mind had barriers, preventing me to even imagine. It hurt so much, just wondering what it would feel like if he were gone. The reality of all this made my heart pound in my chest as an ache spread through my entire body.

No, I couldn't, _wouldn't_, go there. I wasn't ready to lose him yet, not after all that had happened. Without even getting married yet.

"Hey," he whispered, lifting my chin with his hand underneath it. "Don't go there."

"I can't help it," I whispered back, the restaurant falling away until there was just the two of us. "I can't help but wonder . . ." I trailed off, not daring enough to speak of it.

"Shhh. I know, but have to move past this. Live in the now. What will happen will happen. And when the day comes to fight, we will be strong _together_. I won't lose you."

"I can't lose you either."

The rest of our conversation hung in the air between us, weightless, held suspended as we never looked away from each other. We just drowned in the other's eyes until our souls were connected and unwavering. Welded together with a force stronger than either one of us were brave enough to admit. I couldn't force the words out, how much I needed him, how much of me would die when his time came.

It wasn't until the waiter brought water and asked us what we would like that we broke out of our trance. For the rest of the evening we were silent, enjoying the ambiance of being with each other, and the soft, gentle, foreign music pumping through the speaker above our heads.

After dinner, we walked hand in hand to my Mustang still in the Cobra parking lot. The sky was clear, the bright moonlight providing more light than the street lamps, sending a pretty glow over my teal car. Wyatt slid into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition. He tended to drive my car more than I do, enjoying the roar of the ancient engine as much as I did. Growing up with my father had turned me into a car junkie, and I breathed _Car and Driver _like oxygen.

I enjoyed it when he drove, even if he had a tendency to speed, given the horsepower. Feeling full and complete in a way that is indescribable, my eyelids drooped, falling down to rest on my cheeks. I yawned, my head turning to the side, facing Wyatt unconsciously. He had turned the heater on, not allowing the cold spring air to seep into the car, and it made me even more tired than I thought was possible.

"Wyatt," I murmured drowsily over the sound of the finely tuned engine, "when do you want to get married?"

He sounded surprised and then amused when he responded. "Mac, are you asleep?"

I felt the car turn sharply and realized we had just gotten on the highway.

"No," I slurred. After a long moment of silence, I said, "You haven't answered my question."

"After we survive." I barely caught his words, spoken so quietly in the warm heat of my Mustang.

I immediately fell asleep, trying not to let his words upset me.

* * *

"That tattoo is amazing!"

I looked up sleepily to see Ravyn standing in the doorway of my room. I had just asked him to come up and help me clean it through our mind link. "Thanks, Ravyn," I said, my voice clogged with sleep. I sat up, taking the rest of the saran wrap off.

"How did Wyatt's turn out?" he asked, approaching the bed to peer at it before grabbing that lotion-y type medicine Blake had given me and rubbing some onto his palms.

"It's amazing. Besides it being in black and white, it looks just like me."

"That's so cool. I want to get one, but I don't know what it would be. Something totally masculine and BA."

We sat in silence as he rubbed it into the skin. It burned like an SOB, but I didn't cringe or make any indication that it hurt. In all honesty, I had been in much more pain before, so this was like a bug bite. Annoying but forgettable. When he was all done, he said, "The Denali's should be here later today."

I glanced at the window, watching a bird fly by, its wings flapping soundlessly.

Ravyn's arm drew around my waist as he pulled me into his side, and I grabbed onto him for dear life. "I'm scared too," he whispered into my hair.

_Everything is going to change because of this_, I said in his head, unable to speak the words aloud.

_You don't know that_, he responded.

"Don't I? Alice said they were pissed. Unlike last time, there will be a fight."

He looked at me and smoothed my hair back. I had forgotten that Ravyn could be so gentle and nurturing. "We're stronger now, sweets. Not only has the pack gotten larger, we have even more love on our side than we did twenty odd years ago. The love between siblings and mates and family. We fought once, we'll do it again."

I let my head fall into the crook of his neck. "I'm not scared for me, though. It's everyone else. Wyatt, you. Everyone."

He chuckled lightly. "You better not go sacrificing yourself for everybody, Little Mac."

"That's not what I mean. I will if it means saving one of you thou-"

His hand was placed over my mouth, his face dead serious as his eyes bored into mine. "You listen to me. I wasn't kidding. You _will not _sacrifice yourself for us. We love you too much. Wyatt, Aiden, me. We would literally die if you were to even get hurt. Do you get that?"

I nodded, my body paralyzed by the sincere rawness in his voice.

"I love you too much, Mackie, to let you die. I don't tell you enough, but I do."

My eyes grew misty at the pain on his face and I pulled his hand away from my mouth to kiss his cheek. "I love you too, Ravyn, so much. It would hurt me if I were to lose you."

"Then do not even think of letting those bastards kill you."

"I won't," I assured him. "I won't."

* * *

The Denali's arrived around two o'clock, meeting with Carlisle, Edward, Jasper, my father, Leah, Seth, and Emmett in Carlisle's study to discuss strategy. Esme and Bella were in the kitchen, trying calm themselves, as well as busy themselves, with baking. My mother was pacing around in the garden, looking for weeds, but knowing that there wouldn't be any. She eventually decided to go out and buy more flowers. Rose and Alice went hunting not long after the Denali coven had appeared.

Ravyn, Aiden, Wyatt, and I stayed in the living room. We were waiting for the pack to arrive. All fifteen or so of them. We were all quiet, knowing that all of the supernatural beings coming to aide would not all survive, and trying to look at them without thinking they might be one of the ones who won't make it.

"Hey!"

We all jumped at Devin's loud shout. A second later Devin, Hayden, Stormy, Quinn, even Alex – my practically sworn enemy – were entering the front door. Following them were all the current wolves, the pack members who had stopped phasing staying in La Push with their mates.

I was surprised that I hadn't heard the engine of a car rolling up the driveway, but I was so preoccupied with the looming fight that I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised at all.

We all got up, muttering our hellos and hugging each other in greeting.

"You guys are so depressed!" Devin chastised us, slapping Aiden on the back. "You have to liven up a bit."

"Dude, the Volturi are coming back here to kill us. Now, gee, I wonder why we're all upset," Aiden responded, pushing Devin away from him.

Devin looked shocked. He looked around at all of our faces – Aiden, Ravyn, Wyatt, me. His face grew paler, his brows falling down over his eyes. "Is it really that bad?" he whispered.

"Yes," I answered quietly.

Devin ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I didn't think . . . I just didn't . . ."

"I know," Ravyn said. "I know."

We we're all quiet then, listening to the rain hitting the ground outside and wondering what our fate looked like.

I was scared there wasn't much left of it.

* * *

All of the vampires who helped last time showed up again. The Cullen household was overrun with vampires and werewolves. Jasper and Edward helped to re-teach everyone how to fight, and the Amazon vampire did exercises with Bella to make her barrier even stronger. The days flew by. The date of the Volturi's arrival growing even more imminent with each passing day. The anxiety level was raised and all of our fear was growing.

And to my ever-lasting irritation, Jasper and Edward were aiding Wyatt in learning how he can defend himself against them. Which was very minimal, because in all actuality, there really wasn't much he could do to assist us. It was driving me insane, because we had already decided that he would be in Forks with all the retired wolves to help protect him and all this was just precautions.

Wyatt and I tried to spend every waking moment of our time together. We just couldn't be apart in times like these. We were both frightened of the unknown and the fact this big huge was going to happen, and we wouldn't even be together for that. We made love as often as possible, in unhurried pleasure, knowing that these moments might be our last. Trying to commit our bodies and soul to memory so we would never be able to forget.

When one of us would feel like the end was tangible, we would reach out and touch our tattoos and feel the comfort. We both knew that the tattoos were nothing more than ink and skin, yet the meaning behind them was just so profound that sometimes, when I would feel his muscles spasm under my splayed palm, I thought for a second that I might fall to my knees with all the feelings pouring through me. And when I would look up into his eyes, feeling his heart pounding in rhythm with mine, the same emotions were returned in his. I would know that he was feeling everything that I was feeling. Scared, restless, anxious. We couldn't wait for all of this to pass.

Saying good-bye to him was the hardest thing I had ever had to do. Standing there in my driveway with my arms around his middle, my face in his warm, cologne scented chest and crying, feeling as if I would never see him again. I could taste it. The end. I didn't think I would ever be able to do it.

Wyatt pulled my face away to wipe my tears with his fingers, his own streaking his face. "We're going to see each other again, MacKayla. I can feel it." He was shaking, every part of him quaking with emotion.

I choked back a sob. "I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you either. God, I don't know how Edward convinced me to go. I really don't fucking know how he did it."

"Hailey is with her friend, right?"

"Yeah. I think she could sense something was wrong. She looked at me with the saddest expression on her face. She does that sometimes. It's weird. It's as if she knows things other people don't."

We were silent for a minute or two, holding onto each other so tightly I was afraid I was going to snap him in half. I pulled pack, dropping my arms to my sides before making my tears stop and running my hand beneath my nose to catch the snot. "Well. You should go."

His face was contorted with pain. "Mac . . ."

I nodded. "I know. I love you."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead, my nose, my cheeks, his tears falling onto my face. "I love you too. So damn much."

I watched as he got into his truck and fire it up. It sounded great after the two of us had fiddled with it the day before, doing a tune up. As he backed up, I waved, and felt a deep sense of loss once his truck disappeared. My knees crumbled and I fell to my knees. Not crying. Not doing anything but just feeling the sense of numbness that overtook me.

Suddenly my family was surrounding me, holding me, telling me this was best and I would see him after tomorrow. It was difficult, but eventually, I got up, walked with them into the house, and sat down to eat some lunch. Wyatt was gone, but I would see him in two days. He'll be fine. . . I repeated that in my head all day, and all through the night, as I couldn't sleep. He was fine. He would be fine. He had texted me and told me that he had gotten there safely and that he would fine. I had to believe that.

The next morning we all went to a clearing near our house. At dawn, all of us walking must have looked like an army walking to a battle. We were a formidable force; we wouldn't lose. We _couldn't _lose. We had so much at stake, so much riding on this. On us.

As we entered the clearing, we saw them. The Volturi, standing there in black robes soaked by the rain falling around us.

A mean smile that was meant to be kind lit up the dark morning with white teeth in a pasty white face. "Hello, Cullens."

* * *

Pictures of their tats on my profile.

Review! :)


	21. Forever

Chapter 21-Forever

_Wyatt's POV_

The ocean was a dark abyss against a starless sky. The night air was crisp and wet, dew waiting to top the edges of leaves and blades of grass. Waves crested and crashed harshly into the rocky beach, the sounds wrapping around my body like a warm, comforting blanket.

It hadn't been easy to get away from Sam. All day I had been itching to go, practically on my knees and begging him to let go to the shoreline. However, Sam was adamant about not leaving his home. Arguing had been futile even though I did not understand why it was so imperative to remain indoors. The ocean had been calling to me and I could not resist.

It wasn't until Sam and Emily had gone to bed and I could hear how occupied they were, that I was able to slip out of the guest room and quickly onto the deck. With Sam's wolf hearing, I was afraid my plan would backfire. Yet as my bare feet became cracked with sand and the waves and salty, misty air was just right _there_ was when I realized I had done it. I had just gotten away from a wolf.

All of the anxiety and dread had just been too much. I was scared for MacKayla, for her family, _our_ family. I was accustomed to Esme and Bella making me lunch and hugging me hello and goodbye. Everything they do for me is so much more then my own family and I was so grateful. They all gave me MacKayla, made the girl I love, and they gave me a solace. I can walk into that house and feel the love. Being there with everyone made me feel as if I had a family.

And I did.

The Blacks and the Cullens gave me everything I could think of. Family, comfort, home. If anything happened to them, I would die inside.

Mac tired to make me believe that they might be able to get out of this, but I'm thinking that maybe the Volturi hate them more then she was letting on.

My heart seized, taking the breath from my lungs. _No, I cannot think like that._ If I thought that I'd never see them again, I'd never survive.

Sighing I picked a flat rock and snatched it, skipping it across the water. I managed one hop before it drowned. I had never been any good at it anyway.

As I searched for another one, I idly wondered if Sam knew yet that I'd left. _Maybe he did and was just too busy to care_.

My second try didn't even skip, just splashed right in.

Damn.

"Well hello there," I murmured, eyeing the perfect rock.

I bent over to pick up, rubbing my thumb over the smooth, tan surface. I watched, all smiles and teeth, as my perfect rock skipped four times. _Like my life_, I though. It might take a few times, but eventually all your ducks line up in a row and suddenly everything that went wrong will go right. And right then I knew everything would end up the way it was supposed to.

"You were a little tricky to find, but then you came out into the open air," a smooth masculine voice said from behind me. And all the warm fuzzy feelings inside me pooled low in my stomach and knotted into thick nausea.

I slowly turned around and came face to face with a red eyed, smiling vampire.

"Name's Felix."

"Wyatt." _Can you smell the fear like MacKayla always could?_

"Oh, I know."

I ringed my hands in front of me. "This is bad, isn't it."

"For you? Of course."

_Mac's POV_

"Well hello there Cullens."

"Aro." Carlisle nodded his head in the older vampire's direction.

"I had hoped to see you again in better circumstances," he murmured gently, as if he had a heart and was reaching out to him. What a crock.

"Yes," Carlisle drawled, "I believe I speak for all of us when I say so did we."

Aro scratched his white, pasty cheek as if in thought. "I shall assume you know why we are here then. The ramifications."

Carlisle shook his head. "I do not understand why you must feel threatened by us."

The Volturi snarled at Carlisle. All but Aro. "You dare assume we would be afraid of-"

"Caius, that is enough," Aro admonished with a firm hand to his friend's chest, keeping him from reaching us further.

"The child that tried to kill us came from you."

"No," Carlisle rebuked, "she tried to coerce my coven into fighting with her. We killed her mate but she fled and we lost her scent. It wasn't until much later did we learn what had happened."

"So you say you had nothing to do with her?" Aro asked in a thoughtful vice that grated my nerves. I was ready for this damn fight but he just kept talking.

Battle readiness bubbled unsteadily under my skin, sliding through my veins and pumping out a rhythm with my heart. I was more than ready to tear this guy to shreds and gas him. He was do a major beat down. Sad thing was, I knew Edward was probably gonna take him. Damnit.

"That I exactly was I am saying, Aro. You know me, my coven. We had no need to over take and plunder. We enjoy where we are and have no desire for power," Carlisle voiced carefully and truthfully.

"Lies! You dare not speak the truth with me?"

"Aro, I do not speak untruths, you know this."

"Do not contradict me!"

Everyone was silent. From what everyone told me of the meeting before this. Aro never actually yelled. He was generally calm and collected and you could only tell his moods by the condescending way he spoke to you. Even his own guard looked surprised.

"You have earned yourself this. This is all your doing. You cannot place blame on me."

"Is that how you distinguish between good and bad? Pretending that everyone else is doing badly while you sit on your throne and wax perfection?" Carlisle dared, eyebrows pulling together, getting angry for the first time in my entire existence. "You believe that you are some righteous power unable to perform appalling acts? Not everything you do and have done was for the good."

"Enough!"

"He is speaking the truth, Aro," Eleazer said quietly but proudly. "It was not until recently that I realized what we did as the guard was not for the greater good but to assuage your need to put down anyone who might be able to overtake you in he future. You are nothing but a coward."

"Bring out the human!" Aro yelled.

Suddenly, every part of my body was frozen even as the adrenaline cursed through me and I moved into a battle stance, ready to kill this SOB. Everyone had gone quiet as Felix emerged. My heart thumped once and then stopped once Wyatt was dragged out into the open.

"No," I whispered once my heart had restarted.

Aro's red eyes immediately rolled to mine. And he fucking smiled. "You. This belongs to you?"

I did not dare speak.

"What do you want with him?" Carlisle asked.

"He knows. When Felix found him, he knew what he was. Was barely even afraid. And he knows some very interesting things."

"No."

"So you speak now?"

I remained silent again.

Aro smiled as if he knew some secret. He was closer to me with Wyatt dragging behind him on the ground. He stopped inches before me and I couldn't look at him or Wyatt. I just couldn't do it. I would break.

"He loves you very much, you know."

The wolves growled loudly. It unfortunately made him smile all the more.

Aro reached out and to touch me but I stepped back in a blink of an eye.

"Your powers are great. Wyatt told me all about them. A Halfling and a werewolf. Does it anger you that he would betray you? Jabbering on and on about the Blacks and the Cullens?"

Aro could read minds by touch. He was stupid to believe I would fall for that crap.

Carlisle stepped forward. "What are you doing, Aro? A human? I thought you were angry at us for what Oksana did; leave the boy out of this."

"Oh but it has everything to do with this, don't you understand? He knows. And now I know all of your dirty little secrets." His eyes turned back to mine. "Would this get a reaction out of you?"

Wyatt suddenly began screaming, muddy hands covering his ears. I had already steeled myself, yet seeing him in such pain nearly brought me to my knees. I covered my flinch, which I was hoping he didn't see.

"So you don't care about him at all? Wyatt, how does that make you feel?" Aro asked, yanking Wyatt, who Jane had stopped torturing, to his feet so he could look him in the eye. Wyatt could hardly stand on his feet, his legs buckling with weakness and pain. "She doesn't love you enough to beg me to stop.

Wyatt made no sound, but his eyes met mine with understanding. He knew what I was doing. I reached up and touched my tattoo, never looking away from him. And he feebly smiled for me.

"Aro, stop this at once!" Carlisle demanded, walking forward. "That is enough. The boy has absolutely nothing to do with this."

"I beg to differ. He is human and yet knows about us, and that cannot be allowed."

"Aro."

Aro turned to Edward. "You know, dear Edward, you still have time to join us. You too Alice, Bella. We would love to have the three of you."

They snarled. "You have done enough, Aro. Let Wyatt go," Edward ordered.

Aro didn't bother to smile. "That's too bad. I would have loved to have you join me. All of you. We would be great, I am sure." He looked at Wyatt and moved his hand from his t-shirt to his arm. And was immediately angry. "Bella," he whispered. "How your power still astounds me."

"Don't speak of her."

"Edward, now is not the time to be rude," Aro chastised, his tone entirely condescending.

"Little girl," he said, turning to me, "what would you do to save him? Anything? No answer? You are a quiet one. If you had the choice between death and vampirism, which would you choose? Don't know? Wanna see?"

"Aro, what are you getting at?" Carlisle asked carefully.

He smiled broadly. "Oh, nothing too bad." Aro pulled a long sword from a hidden scabbard.

Everyone, including me, jumped forward. I reached out a hand to him. "Don't you. Fucking. Dare."

"Ahh, you do have a voice!" I watched the sword go dangerously close to Wyatt's throat. Wyatt began quivering and I could feel the change in me threaten to break. "You have a choice to make, MacKayla. Or should I say Two Socks?"

Leaves were lifted into the air, my hair whipping around my face harshly as the wind picked up. "You touch one of your pasty fingers to him and die. I'm not afraid to kill you. Touch him and make a choice to live or die."

"Oooo, Carlisle, I like her! Dear girl, if you were not a part of the Cullen's, I would ask you to join me. However you are, as well as some half-breed thing. I cannot allow that. Anyway, have you made a decision yet?"

"Have you?" I countered the air around us suddenly much harsher.

He chuckled as if we were all good friends and I had said a funny joke. "I don't need to."

Before any of us could react, Aro, plunged the sword into Wyatt's gut. Wyatt did not scream. No, he was too strong to do that. He groaned loudly, falling to the ground as the sword was pulled out.

Everything slowed down and became slow motion. I could see in heat, and then would flash to human vision. As I ran forward, with my mind, I grabbed Aro and threw him against a tree. War erupted immediately as dirt and debris circled like a tornado around us. I feel to my knees, Carlisle already there, knowing all he could do in the time and place was to turn him.

"Wyatt," I choked. My clammy hands held his face in mine as my heart ripped into two pieces.

"Mac . . . Kayla . . . "

"Oh my God. Oh my God." Wyatt was gonna die too soon. There was nothing I could do. He was gonna die in my arms at eighteen and I could do nothing about this.

A cold hand was placed on my shoulder and I turned to see Carlisle looking at me.

"MacKayla, this is up to you. Do you want me to change him?"

I screamed quietly in pain. I looked into Wyatt's blue eyes. I loved his blue eyes. I couldn't imagine never seeing them again.

He lifted a hand to my cheek. "Mackie . . . I love you so, so much. Please. You know what to do."

"You don't know what you're asking of me!"

"I do. It means forever." He coughed up blood, my stomach churning. His now rapidly cooling finger weakly rubbed a tear away from my cheek.

"Quick, MacKayla. I realize this is difficult for you but he is dying. You need to make a decision _now_!"

I leaned down and kissed him, tasting his blood, my tears falling into his face. His hand, to weak, fell from my face. "I love you. I love you more than you can possibly imagine."

"MacKayla!"

"Do it," I whispered. "Fucking do it."

As I said this, every part of me steeled more than I could have thought possible. I stood up, not able to look at Carlisle biting Wyatt. I could hear nothing over the roar in my ears. Around us, battle raged. Wolves were quickly tearing apart vampires, vampire quickly killing wolves and other vampires.

I stepped forward, ready to kill these son's of bitches, resolution ingrained in my blood. I was calm, collected, and prepared to take them down. They take from me so I take from them. Simple as that.

Using my powers, I tore them all apart with my mind. Every last one of them. I tore them into as many tiny pieces as I could, gathered them into a neat pile, and ordered everyone to stand behind Bella. I poured the gasoline over them and lit a match. Throwing it on the fire, I watched them burn, the smell of rotting flesh filling the air, drowning out their screams.

I never had to touch a single one of them.

"Fucking hell," Devyn muttered incredulously after changing back, not bothering to cover up his nudity. "Why didn't we let her do that from the beginning?"

"We asked her not to unless she had to," my father said, pulling me quickly in for a hug. I held him, but I still could not feel anything.

Not until I felt something inside me changing. I pulled back and glanced at Wyatt, who was pale and shaking. My heart began palpating and I clutched a hand to the painful thumps against my ribs.

"Ugh," I moaned, my knees buckling against the onslaught.

"MacKayla, what is it?" my mother asked, rushing to me.

"Wyatt," I choked out, running to him and sliding onto my knees beside him. "Oh God, Wyatt."

Between us, I could feel rubber bands fall away. Eyes wide I stared at him as his eyes suddenly opened wide and lifeless. It felt as if one of the strings holding us together snapped like a rope that had pulled too far, stretched too far. As if, the gravity between us, that chemistry, lessened slightly.

Then, when I was sure I would die, we both let out screams before the pain quickly faded as swift as it had appeared. Wyatt's eyes fell closed, his body went back to quivering, and I was completely spent. I fell on top of him, holding him to me, as I lost all control and fell into the dark abyss with him.

_Wyatt's POV_

I was on fire. Every part of me on fire. I could feel it, surrounding me, encumbering me. Suffocating me. I could not breathe. Did I want to breathe? I was not sure. I could not remember much. Had I asked for this? Had I done this myself? Was I dying? If so, I silently hoped someone would help make it faster. Every part of me hurt. Joints, muscles as they were stretched. My innards felt as though they had been lit on fire. I did not scream. I tried, but my throat hurt too badly. I could not manage.

This went on for hours, days, years. I did not know. It was difficult for me to measure time passing by. All I knew for certain was that whatever was happening couldn't last much longer. I would surely die from the onslaught of suck unbearable pain.

Periodically I would be able to feel something touch me. Warmth. Hot. It never felt good against my already on fire skin. The burning and itching never assuaged. I could not move. However, even though it was not comfortable, it was com_forting_. At one point, it felt as though cool water was poured on my face, rubbed gently into what I can only imagine as dry, cracked skin from the fire.

Closer to the end, things changed. I could hear things now. Voices. I could not tell what they were saying, but I knew they thought I was fine. How could they not see the pain, the fire? How could they not help me?

The hearing changed to a 'feeling.' I could 'feel' someone entering the room I was in, could 'feel' them touching me, sitting near me. Then I'd hear the slightest rustle of clothing against skin, hair against a finger. A bird outside just flying, the sound of its wings soothing somehow. I was not sure why it was soothing nor was I sure how this was possible.

I could not remember anything. Yet, sometimes when I was too lost in the pain to want to live, her face appeared in my head. She was beautiful. Black, curly hair, plump lips, gorgeous green eyes that seemed unreal. She saved me every time I got too close to the edge of nothingness, and she yanked me back, always whispering that it would be fine. Just a little bit longer.

Longer? How could it be possible that it would last any longer? But I believed the beautiful angel and let her pull me back into life every time. Like I could trust her.

* * *

"How is he?"

"It's the second day. He'll wake up soon."

"He has to. I miss him. I need him, Carlisle."

"I know you do MacKayla. I know."

Her name sparked something inside me, and I was relieved it was not the fire that was finally beginning to ebb. That angel's face appeared in my head, smiling.

And I remembered everything.

I could feel a hand on my face. "Wyatt, come back to me. Please. I need you."

It was quiet but I could hear her breath coming in harsh bursts of air. "God, I love you, Wyatt. Please."

A hand squeezed mine, I was happy to be able to squeeze back. This girl was the love of my life and I needed her to know I was okay now. Needed her to know that she was going to be okay.

She made a funny squeaky sound that turned into a gasp. "Wyatt?" she asked.

My eyes opened. It was nighttime, and my imprint had turned all the lights off for me. I was thankful. "Baby." My voice was husky, had gone unused for a while. "I'm fine now."

"Oh, Wyatt!"

She launched herself at me, arms falling to my neck, holding me tightly. Weird things happened then. I could see the blood beneath her thin skin. Yet she did not appeal to me. She smelled differently now too. More alluring, but in a sexual way, not a blood way. And suddenly, as quick as her scent had reached me, I was hard. Aching. _Holy shit_.

Pulling back, she brushed her lips to mine and even that was different. It felt the same and yet completely different. The difference was how much everything was heightened. Charged. This was way more than I had ever felt all at once. Her lips were softer some how, tastier. It took every ounce of self-control not to throw her against the bed I was in and make love to her like an animal.

Feeling the change, she ended the kiss, her brows knotted. "What is it?"

"Everything." I brushed her soft hair away from her forehead. "It's all heightened. I'm having trouble keep my hands from touching you."

MacKayla smiled seductively. "What if I want you to?"

Suddenly I was no longer hard and aching, but my throat was on fire. "I can't. Not yet."

Her eyes changed to awareness. "Oh my God. I am so sorry. You need to feed, don't you?"

All I could do was nod. And take the lovely hand offered into mine. "Then come on. I'll take you hunting."

* * *

"So what happened?" I asked, running a finger along the naked skin of her lower back.

MacKayla was curled into my side on, now, our bed. After teaching me to hunt, which was quite fun with her, especially since she would turn to wolf form and challenge me. With all these new abilities, I was strong and now matched her in everything. _Finally_. Afterwards, we came back to an empty house, to which she explained to me as their gift to us. Alone time.

I was appreciative since now that I was a vampire, I had better stamina (not that it was ever bad.)

She sighed, nuzzling her warm face into my neck. It was still weird, her being extremely hot while I was extremely cold. "What do you remember?"

"Not much. I remember Felix finding me at the beach."

"Yes, when Sam told us you had snuck out we we're all pretty effing pissed, Wyatt."

I sighed, recognizing her tone. "I know. I'm sorry. I just needed to escape everyone and have some time to myself to relax. I was scared for all of you." I kissed her forehead. "Tell me about the fight. I remember Aro, who, by the way, is a dick. He said he needed to use me to teach you all a lesson."

She was quiet, hiding in the juncture where my neck and shoulder met. I gently turned onto my side facing her. "Baby . . ."

"I killed them all," she whispered. "I got so angry when Aro stabbed you. He didn't let me save you. I was so angry my power sort of . . . we knew it probably would, but it was still a surprise. I killed them all at once. And I didn't feel anything."

My forehead touched hers. "There's something else."

Her eyes shifted away. Teared up. "We didn't know. You never told me. You have a disorder where you don't produce much . . . sperm. Imprinting is the wolves finding the mate that would help make powerful wolves together. We're dogs, so naturally it's all about procreating. But when the venom got into your system, it killed . . . we don't know why it did that. So the part of the imprint that involved creating babies, it . . . broke. Because when you changed . . . yeah. We can't have kids now."

I couldn't speak. I had a disorder? We couldn't . . . oh. I grabbed her against me, holding on tightly as she sobbed. "Shhh, it's alright. We can always adopt."

"You don't unders-s-s-stand." She hiccupped. "I took that away from you!"

"You took nothing from me. Mac, look at me." I waited until her beautiful eyes met mine. I could see every part of her eyes; every color was visible to me. I loved it. "I love you. You love me. End of story. We did this for love, to stay together. I don't care that we can't have kids" –_lie_-"I love you regardless. Don't regret it. I don't."

"Wyatt."

"I know, baby. I know."

We were quiet, just holing on to each other. I really didn't regret it. She was everything to me, every part of me. Yeah, I wish I'd be able to have little MacKayla's running around, but I was honestly fine with one. She's all I'll ever need.

"So, how did you guys tell people I died?" I wondered, rolling her over so that I was snuggled against her side, my head resting on the soft pillow her breasts created for me.

"Drove you truck off a cliff. Body was never found."

"Hmm. Who got to drive my truck?"

"Emmett, naturally. He was all too excited to drive off the cliff in it," she laughed lightly, and it warmed me. It was sad that I was leaving everything behind, but I got MacKayla in turn. I could never wish to change it.

"I'm glad he was able to have some fun," I murmured, pulling a tight nipple into my mouth.

She moaned. "Mmhmm."

I rolled on top of her, my leg thrusting hers apart. My lips made a path to her ear as I slid home. "I love you, Two Socks."

"Ohhhh, I love you, too, Wyatt. Yes, right there!"

Mmm, right there indeed. I was never leaving. Not ever again.

* * *

**So this took forever. I'm sorry. This chapter was not one I wanted to write. At all. But you should be happy, the next chapter is already done and I'll probably post it next week or so. **

**Review please!**


	22. Broken Rules

Chapter 22 – Broken Rules

**_~Mac's POV~_**

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were hard and blood shot, my jaw clenched tightly enough that my teeth hurt, and my face was pale beneath my tan. My hair was up in a messy bun and a simple black dress adorned my body, encasing it in silk that stank of death. As I stared at my gaze, I tried to talk myself out of it. Tried as hard as I could to just walk away. How could I face a sea of people who'll mourn over the man they had lost, when I hadn't lost anything? How could I look them in the eye and pretend that inside I wasn't guilty? I was on emotional over load, too much pressure pushing my shoulders down, my head feeling as if it were about to split.

Only a week earlier Wyatt had been transformed into a vampire. And a week later, there I stood in a public bathroom with tears running down my face, trying to get out of going to his funeral. I wasn't alone in the pain, of course, but the guilt that rid me, the shame in all of this didn't just go away. It can't. And I couldn't run away from it no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I pumped my legs, praying for all of it to finally be behind me so I could breathe again.

I felt like I was dying. As if a hand were griping my heart and squeezing with all the strength it had. It was becoming to be too difficult to breathe and I uselessly threw a hand over my heart as if that feeble attempt would fix all of my screw-ups.

I had had a chance to keep him human. Had had a chance to save us all from this heartache, this disaster of such mass proportions. And instead, I had been too selfish to stay away, falling for him in a record of a few days.

"Mac," a stern voice called from outside the bathroom.

I took a deep breath and smoothed a hand down my stomach, down my dress, trying to take the ache in the pit of my stomach away with the retreating hand. I choked back a wrenching sob and frustratingly wiped at my eyes. The tears were supposed to be there, I knew that, but that didn't mean I wasn't embarrassed by them. He wasn't dead, so why did all of it feel so real? Why did my heart keep breaking, when I knew that I would go home after this and be held by the one person I was in the middle of mourning?

I sighed and looked one last time at my reflection, giving up the fight and walking out of the bathroom in a manor that stated I was faking it. Faking the nonchalance I hoped showed; forging the feeling of numbness I only wished was a reality. The minute the door was closed behind me and the slightly warm air of late spring hit me, warm arms held me against a hard chest and I gave up. I grabbed a fistful of the Armani silk button up shirt and burrowed my head into the crook of his neck, breathing hard, the salty tears a waterfall down my pale cheeks.

"Mac," my father soothed, stroking my hair, saying words of comfort, rubbing reassuring circles on my back.

When I finally was able to relax, I let my eyes close naturally due to the numbness that finally took hold of my body, keeping me from feeling anything at all. He cupped my head and tilted it back so he could wipe my damp cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry," I croaked, my eyes remaining shut, a headache breaching the back of my eyes and my forehead.

"Mac… you have nothing to forgive," he murmured.

"Don't I?" I countered, the numbness being replaced with anger. Anger at myself. Anger at the situation.

He shook his head and kissed my forehead like he used to when I was a child and had fallen and scrapped my knee. "MacKayla, don't be embarrassed by it. Don't be ashamed. You lost many things this week, and the funeral makes it real. The feelings inside of you are to be expected. I would be worried if you _didn't _feel like this."

The tears fell passed the rim of the barrier that I had kept up and I buried my face into his chest, breathing deeply, taking his musky scent into my nose, allowing it to calm me. He smelled like he always had, taking me back to my childhood when we had been close and snuggled on the couch so we could watch Disney classics and eat popcorn. I hadn't realized how much I had missed my father. I had been spending so much time with my imprint, I had all put thrown him to the curb. And that only made me feel all the more guilty. "I love you, Dad," I whispered, not trusting my voice.

I felt him smile against my hair. "And I love you, too, kitten."

Kitten. He'd called me kitten again for the first time since I was eight. He hadn't called me kitten since I was a kid. I had liked to pounce on my brothers, startling them as I hid behind a counter and waited until the perfect moment. I had also liked to jump from object to object and he said I was more like a playful little kitten then a ferocious wolf. I had been two. I gripped him as tightly as I could, not wanting to let go of the rock that I had attached myself to, the one anchoring me to my sanity. I sniffled. "I think we should get back to the ceremony."

He pulled back with a nod and I squeezed his hand in mine as we made our way to the assortment of lawn chairs sitting neatly on the cemetery grass. The breeze was somewhat warm and yet chilly, flying by softly enough that the chairs remained stationary but strongly enough that the leaves on the trees rustled, the flowers on the surrounding graves waving in the wind. Wyatt's senior high school picture was enlarged on a bulky poster, and it rested in front of the podium, his cobalt eyes staring at me, the sapphire blue smiling at me, dragging wetness from my eyes to fall down my cheeks as I stared at the color I would never see again. No, because they were replaced with the red and soon to be amber of his kind.

My father took his seat beside my brothers, Ravyn, Aiden, and my mother in the third row, giving me the minute I so desperately needed. I paused and watched Wyatt's mother, Brooke, look at the priest who was standing at the podium, giving some speech about death and how the end is only the beginning, blah, blah, blah. But it was her expression that chilled me to the bone. It was nothing. It was blank, expressionless, as if she felt nothing but obligation to be there, as if Wyatt didn't matter. His father looked remorseful, his eyes red, and I remembered that Craig had truly cared for his son, just not enough to save him from his mother.

Beside Craig, sat little Hailey, her cheeks and eyes red and wet. It was in that moment that I hated Aro so passionately that it was painful. Aro had not only taken away Wyatt's humanity, he had taken away the chance for a thirteen-year-old girl to live. Even though her long-sleeve sweater was pulled down to her wrists, I could see the bruises as if they were plain as day. Wyatt was the one person she could turn to for shelter, for love, and I'll be damned if I have to continue seeing it happen.

_You have to_, Ravyn reminded me softly, his voice sounding wounded even in his mind.

_I don't have to do anything_, I responded stubbornly. I locked my jaw, clenched my teeth, and tried to stop the flow of tears as I approached the podium to say my eulogy. I looked at every member of my classmates, the sad faces of the students who would forget and move on. But as my eyes rested on a young girl with dark brown hair and cobalt blue eyes, I felt my resolve slipping. My eyes began leaking past my restraint and I took in a shaky breath, praying for some solid ground where I could stand and feel the Earth beneath my feet steady, to keep me in one piece.

I opened my mouth then, knowing that if I kept it closed any longer I would look like a fool. "Wyatt will be more then missed. He'll be more then a memory, because our hearts will always carry him with us, the love we all share for him encompassing us so that it's all we feel, all we see. For some of us, the pain will be short, a small twinge in our chests." I paused to look at Brooke, before looking at her daughter and continuing. "And some of us will never heal from this terrible sorrow. Some of us will never learn to tread the world with more then a nonchalance. Some of us will forget, some of us won't.

"But I know that wherever he is now, he'll be happy," I said, knowing the truth of my words, making a promise behind them, silently telling them I would take care of him. "He won't want for anything and he'll never forget any of you. Any of us. He'll watch over us. He'll never frown upon his death, never think for a moment that what happened wasn't for the best" – _even thought he should – _"and he'll love you all for the rest of eternity. For the rest of time. Because that's what he did. He forgave everyone, never letting anger or hatred mar his decisions and his choices, his acceptance of the world as refreshing to me as I'm sure it was to all of you. His joy and happiness will never be forgotten, and our love for him will never dissipate, no matter how old we get, no matter how foggy our memory gets, because love can travel many distances, because it knows no boundaries. No limitations.

"No, Wyatt could never be forgotten. His smile, his eyes, his heart will shine for the rest of time, the light never faltering. He'll be more then missed, he'll be loved." I let the tears fall hard now, not seeing anything but the blue eyes of a girl whose life would be changed forever from this time forward. Because I had made up my mind.

I felt a pressure on my arm and saw my father through the shinny tears clouding my vision and I clutched him, hiding my face in his shirt, trying to breathe through the pain lacerating my chest.

The sad crowd that sat in the white chairs that were uncomfortable clapped lightly, the grief filling the air and my knees buckled. The onslaught of emotions cutting through me like a knife, carrying away the last ounce of my consciousness, but whether it was from my own emotions or everyone else's around me, I did not know. But I welcomed the blackness, letting the void take my body to a place where I could no longer feel.

* * *

My eyes fluttered slightly when I felt a feather-light weight on my lips. My eyelids opened and I looked up into a dark red gaze. His eyes were lighter then the day before, the gold making the red look less ominous. I felt the sting, clamping my eyes tight, not wanting to cry anymore. I already missed Wyatt's warm, inviting blue eyes. The soon to be amber I will never get used to.

Wyatt littered kisses on my eyes, urging me to open them, urging me to open _up_ to him. And I knew I should, but I couldn't. I didn't know how. "I'm sorry," I gasped out.

I felt the breeze as Wyatt pulled back from me and I opened my eyes to see his perplexed expression. "What do you have to be sorry for?" he asked in his deep baritone that didn't change when he did.

I pressed my hands to my eyes, wiping the wetness away, and I pushed down hard enough to make light dance beneath my lids. "Everything!" I screamed. "Taking away your humanity! Your life! I took away what should've been. I had tried to stay away, tried to let you live, but you wouldn't let me! You were too damn stubborn to ignore me. Too stubborn to kick me to the curb without a backwards glance. Too stubborn –"

"Shut up, MacKayla," he ordered, interrupting me. He lifted my hands from my face and pressed them to his face so that my hands cupped his cheeks and he pressed his lips to the insides of my wrists. His eyes killed me, filled with contrite, like he would be crying if it weren't an impossibility. "Don't you dare blame yourself. I love you, MacKayla Rayne Black. And nothing on this earth could ever change the fact that my heart is forever locked with yours. No one will take away the feelings I have for you. And now that I'm a vampire, I seem to love you more then I ever did as a human. I had no clue that it was possible, but I do. I love you, you stubborn, self absorbing –"

"Self absorbing?" I asked with a raised brow.

"– loving, caring, perfect werepire." He kissed my nose, my cheeks, my eyes. "I love you because I was stubborn, just like you, and I thank my lucky stars that I have you. I thank them every damn day."

I stared up at him, taking in everything. The weight of him pushing me back against the mattress. The texture of his hair in my hands as I wound them into his thick, soft locks. The love in his eyes, the love in his heart that was filling me thanks to my powers, and I kissed his lips, needing to feel them wrapped up in mine. I hooked a leg over his hip and rolled him over so that I was straddling his waist. I pulled away and rested my head in the crook of his neck, placing a kiss to his Adam's apple.

"Not what I had in mind," he murmured huskily, "but I suppose it'll do." He wound his arms around me and held me against his body as if letting go would mean the end of the world.

"I love you, Ducky," I said, snuggling down into his hard, cold chest, the chill not making me any less comfortable, any less comforted. Slowly but surely, I felt his body temperature warm minutely against mine.

I felt his lips brush my hair and I smiled in the darkness. "I love you back, my beautiful Two Socks."

After an immeasurable amount of time cuddled together on the bed, enjoying the other's reassuring pressure, I glanced at the clock as it flashed 12:30 a.m. in big red numbers. I closed my eyes and forced myself to sit up. "I have something I need to do. I want you to stay here and if anyone asks where I've gone, you tell them that I needed to run off some steam," I ordered, standing up even though his arms were like steel chains, keeping me in the shelter of his body. He had grown stronger with the change, but I was still strong regardless. Though, he _might_ have let me go willingly. It was hard to tell.

"Where _are_ you going?" he asked, turning on his side to watch me in the moonlight streaming in through the windows covering the westerly southern wall of our room, resting his elbow on the mattress, his jaw filling up his palm.

I pulled open a dresser drawer and pulled some black jeans over my bare legs. "I'm going to run a search and rescue. How long have I been asleep?" I pulled the dress over my head and smiled at his sharp intake of breath, glancing over to see his eyes latched onto my exposed breasts.

"A few hours," he whispered, his voice huskier.

I slipped a sports bra on, then a t-shirt and black hoodie, strapping my feet into some Dock Martin boots.

"Search and rescue?" he inquired softly.

I walked over to the bed and bent down to kiss his lips lightly, lingering longer then I should've. "You'll find out later. Promise."

He bracketed my head to his when I moved to pull back. _Yeah, he let me go purposely earlier_. "I thought we said no more secrets."

"We did, but I can't have you blurting it out to my grandfather since I have yet to teach you how to not do that yet. I'll be in enough trouble as it is when I get back. I love you."

"_Je t'aime,_ _ma petite_."

I smiled and kissed his lips one last time before sneaking out our window, landing on the ground softly, the balls of my feet absorbing the weight of my fall. Then I was running through the forest.

The repercussions of what I was about to do were extreme but it was so worth it. I had to fix it, had to fix something. Everything. And the life I was going to save was so important, that it would kill me for the rest of infinity if I knew I didn't carry out my promise to her.

_~Hailey's POV~_

I had finally gotten to sleep around eleven. My mother and father had fought that night, so she began drinking and thus, dinner was never made. The thought of never going to my brother for comfort killed me, because that's what I needed right now. Knowing I still had four years until I was gone from this hellhole, until I was free was enough to bring thoughts of suicide to the forefront of my brain.

Needing to feel close to my brother who had been the only true anchor tethering me to this world, I climbed into his bed and inhaled the manly, familiar scent of him that stuck to the sheets. I buried deep, cocooning myself in the love for my brother and warmth of the bed. I was exhausted, my body and mind tired from the pain that had been with me for so long, that for once, I didn't dream of living at my friends' house, with their loving and caring parents.

Instead, I was dreaming of a place that my brother lived in, somewhere I knew not of. MacKayla was there too, and tall, pale people I had never seen before. They had pretty, gold eyes and some of them had the same hair color. I saw darker skinned people laughing at a kitchen table over breakfast. A tall, black haired girl with black eyes and a swollen stomach sitting on a matching dark hair and dark skinned guy's lap who had kind green eyes. Eyes that matched MacKayla's.

I heard a knock on my window flutter through my unconsciousness. My eyes slowly opened, awakening me from my slumber. But I was groggy, my mind in a haze, my lids so heavy that they immediately closed after a mere nanosecond of being even ever so slightly lifted. I must have fallen back asleep for the next thing I knew I was hearing the noise again. My body felt like lead as I forced my eyes to open fully, blinking away the bleariness blinding me. My room was dark, the only light coming from my clock and window.

I nearly screamed when I heard the knock on my window again. I looked over to see MacKayla standing on the other end and I didn't even hesitate to get up and open the window. I threw myself into her arms and she cradled me against her heart, closing the window behind me so we wouldn't wake anyone up. I sobbed into her black sweatshirt, gripping the fabric in my hands.

"Shhh," she murmured. "I've got you."

And she did. It was then I knew that the dream wasn't just a dream. "Take me with you," I said. "Take me home with you."

She sat back on her heels, her feet digging into the roof of my house. Her eyes were calculating, as if she was having an internal debate with herself. "If I do that, you can never come back," she warned carefully, but I didn't care.

"Please. I need to be with you."

Her face softened. "You need to pack then."

I beamed. "Already done," I whispered, stepping back into my room to grab the bag next to my bed. I had been planning to run away so I packed all my favorite things but chickened out. I just hadn't unpacked yet.

As I looked at MacKayla standing on my roof, I realized that I wasn't scared. That I wouldn't chicken out this time. The pink and teal glow around her body soothed to me.

When I stepped back over the threshold and closed the window, she pulled me into her arms, just hugging me. Then she pulled back and slung me over her back. "Hold on tight and make sure your eyes are closed. Do not open them," she ordered me.

I wrapped my arms around her neck and my legs around her back. I hid my head into her back where her shoulders met her neck and closed my eyes. I felt wind hit my body, an odd sense of weightlessness, felt fear grip my chest and squeeze but I knew that MacKayla wouldn't let anything happen to me. I wasn't sure how I knew that. Wasn't sure how all this would end up okay, but I could just feel it. Just like the pink and teal glow soothed me. Just like I knew that MacKayla wasn't fully human.

_~MacKayla's POV~_

_This was so wrong. We could go to jail. Well, okay, we'd probably break out but then we would be felons! I was kidnapping her! Wait, does it count if she asked you to?_ My feet hit the ground and I checked over my shoulder to see if she had listened to me or not but she was nestled to me comfortably. I turned and began running to my house.

I knew my thoughts were going to give me away. I knew that. I also knew that Edward had this grudge against people who hurt children. I could use that as a defense. I looked down and noted the new bruises on her wrists and I pumped my legs faster, needing to get her as far away from them as possible.

I knew that Wyatt checked on his sister daily behind everyone's back. I also knew that he couldn't stop them even if he caught them doing it. And I also knew that he was a new vampire, and there was no way he should be doing such dangerous solo watches without at least letting anybody know what he'd been up to. I had been trailing him without his awareness and so far he had not done anything stupid, however I realized that if he were to attack his parents, the only thing I would do was help stage their death. I wanted them dead as much as he did.

I felt Hailey's breathing even out against my back and I slowed to an almost stand still as I looked over my shoulder to see her fast asleep. How this girl was comfortable enough under the circumstances were astonishing. She was so trusting. It made me wonder if people ever took advantage of her kind nature.

About three miles from the house, still out of earshot of Edward and the family, I stopped and gently pulled Hailey from my back. I picked her up bridal style and she wordlessly wrapped her arms around my neck. I ran at human speed incase she were to wake up and marshaled my thoughts. I acted as if I was just going on a night run, my thoughts centered around Wyatt and my feelings for him.

The house quickly approached my vision and I forced my heart to remain normal, my breathing easy and calm like nothing was wrong. I still had a mile to go, however, and it was getting harder and harder to control my panic mode. I felt like a little kid getting caught doing something naughty.

People exploded out of the house, streaming off questions left and right but I ignored them and walked right into the house. They followed me in. Hailey muttered something about noise that made me smile. I stared at everyone until they stopped talking and Carlisle came forward.

"Mac, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice kind and understanding.

"I'm saving her," I answered. I looked towards Edward, wanting him to take up for me. "They hurt her."

Esme gasped and walked forward. I knew she could see the proof, but she hesitantly lifted Hailey's sleeve. There was a nasty purple and yellow bruise on her wrist, finger marks clearly showing that someone had grabbed her. Hard. "Oh," Esme whispered.

She looked at Hailey's face, her eyes closed as she slept in my arms. "Remarkable how she seems to still be asleep," she commented.

I shrugged. "She fell asleep on the run over here."

"Her mind is so… blank," Edward said, his voice taking on an astonishing tone. "She seems so comfortable with us."

"We made it look like she ran away. In fact, she had already planned to. Her bag was packed when I went to get her."

Carlisle shook his head. "This isn't a good idea, MacKayla. You should not have taken her," he chastised.

"They don't want her!" I yelled. Hailey stirred in my arms and I rechecked my volume. "Look, I refuse to leave this matter up to the state. They would put her in a foster home. I can't do that to her."

"Her brother is dead, Little Mac," Aiden reminded me gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She doesn't know he lives and breathes nor about who he is now."

"She'll understand, I know she will. She won't have a problem with our evolutionary status."

"Mac –" Edward began.

"No!" I interrupted him. "I will not leave her with them! You know what they do to her! I want to take care of her! I know she will be safe with me. I won't hurt her." I stared at her face long and hard. It was so serene, so innocent. She looked like a little girl, her amazingly long eyelashes resting on her pale cheeks. Her mouth was slack, open ever so softly. I softened my voice. "I have absolute faith in her that she would not betray us. And if neither of you wish for her to reside here, then I will leave with her." Gasps surrounded the room.

"Mac," Carlisle said, "we would never make you leave, and it seems you truly care for this child." I nodded. "Then I suppose it is done. She will stay with us. We are leaving for Denali in a month or two anyway; she can come with us after everything blows over."

I grinned and hugged her to me, kissing her forehead. She stirred slightly and pressed closer to me, seeking the comfort.

I heard the back door open and looked up expectantly. Half my family seemed to be missing. However, only Wyatt and Ravyn entered the doorway. Both stopped in the threshold to the foyer and the kitchen, one frozen with shock, the other happiness.

"MacKayla," he breathed.

Hailey's eyes popped open. She smiled, so genuine and happy, wriggling from my arms and propelling herself into his. "I knew it! I knew there was no way Mac would let you die!"

His eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around her. His red eyes looked as if they would cry if he could for the second time that night and he dropped his head to her shoulder. "Hailey… Princess…"

She pulled back from him and stared at him. "I knew it."

Edward went stiff, glancing at Hailey, his eyes wide. "Hailey… what are you seeing?" he asked carefully, approaching her as if she were nothing but a skittish calf.

She seemed confused. "I don't know what you mean. I am seeing my brother."

"No," he said, his voice breathy. "No, I mean that… thing… around him. What is that?"

She looked perplexed still, glancing at him. However, she suddenly grinned. "You can see them too? Really?"

He shook his head. "I . . . can . . . wait . . . slow down . . ."

The room had gone so quiet that the only thing we could hear was Edward's harsh breathing. "Edward, what the hell is wrong with you?" Emmett blurted out. "I hate it when you have mind conversations."

Hailey's face fell a little, hearing Emmett's words. "I should have known you couldn't see them too. No one can."

"Hailey," Wyatt murmured, "what are you talking about? Seeing what?"

"Aura's," she answered. I sucked in a gulp of air. Her hand moved about an inch from Wyatt's head. "Yours has changed. It used to be teal and pink, much like Mac's, but now you have the new color like Edward."

"New color?" he asked.

I looked at everyone in the room, their eyes wide. I was surprised that nobody was firing off questions left and right, but they seemed to be so surprised that their tongues were tied.

"Yeah. I don't know how to explain it. I have never really seen it before. It's like… I don't know. It's bright. It kinda hurts my eyes. It is similar to Mac's, only hers is different. Like theirs." She pointed at my brothers. "And yours is like theirs." She pointed at the Cullen side of my family. She looked back to Wyatt and gasped, finally looking at his eyes. "Oh, so that's what the color means. You're a vampire?"

No one could answer her. After a few seconds, Wyatt murmured, "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and got down from his arms. "I wouldn't have known for sure, but nobody said anything. Your eyes gave you away. And I suppose Mac is something else. I know she isn't human." She looked at me expectantly, her cobalt blue eyes making me want to cry.

"I am… half vampire, half werewolf," I answered finally.

She laughed, her eyes alight with mischief. "I knew they existed. This is so cool."

Edward was still breathing hard. "Hailey," he said, going towards her. "My name is Edward. I am her grandfather." His chin pointed at me as he said it. "Do you know what this means? What your gift does?"

She nodded. "Of course. It's the color of your soul. Some people have more colors. It has taken me awhile to figure it all out. I kept journals, writing down how people acted, what their colors were and compared them to others."

She looked at Carlisle. "You are special. Yours is purple, understanding, calming. You have selflessness and wisdom." She looked at Esme with a smile. "You are too. It's hard to find people with purple auras." She looked at Edward, his face confused and yet happy. He always thought he had no soul. "Yours is gray. You have a hard time with people. You take everything seriously and you over think everything." Bella laughed. Hailey looked at her, studding her face. Bella sobered instantly. "You are purple as well."

"What am I?" Aiden asked.

"You're green. You're very relaxed all the time, okay with everything. You rarely have a temper. You say how you feel and think, believing it's dumb to keep secrets."

She swayed slightly. I sighed, we were definitely over taxing her. Just then, Seth walked in, from God only knows where. "Seth," I said, "This is Hailey. Will you take her to my room for me?"

Hailey glanced up at Seth and they both froze. Seth's eyes were so expressive. Shock, love, happiness. I rubbed my forehead. Seth had imprinted on Wyatt's little sister.

_As if life wasn't complicated enough._

**All that's left is an epi! I have two chapters of Hailey and Seth and Ravyn's story done, so I'll have those up after a short break. Put me on author alert so you'll know.**

**Review please!**


	23. Epilogue

Chapter 23 – Epilogue

_~Mac's POV~_

God, I was nervous. I knew this was coming, I knew this would happen, and still I am nervous. My stomach fluttered nauseously and my palms and armpits were sweating. I covertly dragged a hand across my upper lip.

"Don't! You'll wip your makeup off!" Apparently not covertly enough. Damn.

_Oh, right. Of course, that's much more important than me freaking the hell out_. "They need to make cover up sweat proof, damnit."

My mom smiled kindly at me, sitting beside me on the bench. "Sweetie, every girl goes through this."

I sighed dramatically and threw my head back. "That line is so cliché."

Mom just laughed cheerily and grabbed my hand. "That line is so _true_."

I turned and stared at her. She wasn't young by any means, but she was stuck as an 18 year old like most of my family. I tried to imagine her on _her_ wedding day. Beautiful and radiant. And I'm sure _not having a nervous breakdown right outside the church's doors where her imprint and love of her life as waiting for her._ "Were you nervous?"

"Yes."

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. We stood up when my father came over, his smile wide and proud. Kissing my forehead, he said, "Kitten, you are so beautiful."

I giggled. "Thanks, Dad."

Mom squeezed my hand before telling me we had to go inside and wait our turn. I nodded like a soldier, taking this very seriously. And feeling seriously ridiculous.

"I can_not_ wait till this is over. And to get out of this dress and heals combo."

Dad chuckled deeply as my Ravyn, Seth, Hailey and Stormy walked up the aisle. Oh my God, we were next. I tried not to hyperventilate. I did, really.

My father leaned down, a soothing hand rubbing circles over my upper back. "Deep breaths, Mac. Relax, the minute you see him, you won't be this nervous." He drew an X over his heart when I gave him a doubtful glare and continued with, "I promise."

And then I was walking too slowly on that red carpet. His eyes were all over me for a second before they met mine and the look on his face literally took the very breath from my lungs. A smile broke out across his lips and his eyes glowed amber in the ambient light from the stained glass windows behind him. His black tux was no different than anyone else's, but on him it was more sexy than should even be possible.

Staring into his eyes, all my nerves shorted out, my breathing relaxed, and my heart thumped calmly, as if Wyatt told them to chill out with his eyes. I could feel everyone staring at me, but all I could look at was him. We were in our own little world.

My father placed my hand in Wyatt's at the alter. Leah stood beside me, Aiden on the other side. Alice freaked when we told her we were going to have a joint wedding, but in the end, it was our choice. So here, in the middle of no where in Alaska, the four of us were getting married.

And it was perfect.

Wyatt is all I'll ever need. He stood beside me when no one else would. He loved me when it felt as if no one else did. He holds me at night and everything is fine. His kisses make me feel like I'm home.

He is like a bright star in the sky, shinning the brightest, bringing light to everyone, giving them guidance and helping them find a path to follow on this trail called life. He's the starlight guiding everyone home to families and friends.

He is, and will forever be, my soul mate.

My imprint.

My ducky.

* * *

**And that's all she wrote folks! I know this is short, but since I'm gonna do the sequeal with Seth, Ravyn, Hailey, and OC I feel this chapter is a good ending. I did mean to write who is now the "Volturi" but I couldn't put that anywhere. I'll try to remember to adress it in the next story, but I'll tell you now just incase I forget. The Denali clan took over because Elizear felt so horribly about his term with the Volturi and wanted to make it right and do the right thing. So there it is.**

**Review and wait for a few days for me to post the next and last story for these guys! Don't forget to put me on auther alert so you'll know. I'll probably update this story like I did for CIM when it goes up though.**


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